JP5109831B2 - Antenna unit, lamp, traffic signal lamp and traffic signal controller - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a lamp, and more particularly to a traffic signal lamp installed on a road, a traffic signal controller, and an antenna unit provided in the lamp.

  In recent years, an Intelligent Transport System (ITS) has been proposed for the purpose of promoting traffic safety and preventing traffic accidents. In this ITS, a communication device (infrastructure device) is installed on the road, and the information emitted from the antenna of this communication device is received by the in-vehicle device of the vehicle traveling on the road, and this information is utilized, The safety of traveling of the vehicle can be improved (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  When such road-to-vehicle communication is performed wirelessly, from the viewpoint of securing the prospect of wireless communication, an arm is extended from the column installed on the sidewalk or the like to the roadway side, and the antenna of the communication device is mounted on this arm. Further, when the line of sight can be secured without providing the arm, an antenna can be attached to the support column.

  In order to install the antenna of the communication device on the road, it is not economical to provide a new support for the antenna, and it is not preferable from the viewpoint of the aesthetics of the road. Has proposed a traffic signal lamp incorporating an antenna (Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-186019).

  The traffic signal lamp is provided in a range from the cover member to the front end of the light emitter, and an optical unit having a light emitter and a cover member that has visible light permeability and covers the light emitter forward. And an antenna having a ground element behind the patch element, and the patch element has visible light transmissivity. In such a traffic signal lamp, since the antenna is incorporated in the optical unit of the traffic signal lamp, a support for installing the antenna can be dispensed with and the appearance of the road is not impaired. Furthermore, since the patch element has visible light permeability, even if the antenna is incorporated in the optical unit, it is possible to prevent the light emission from being hindered by the light emitter.

Japanese Patent No. 2806801

  As the patch element having visible light permeability, for example, a conductive wire knitted in a mesh shape can be used. In this case, the smaller the number of lattices constituting the mesh, the less obstructive material that blocks the light from the illuminant, which is advantageous from the viewpoint of good light transmission. It is conceivable that the antenna performance will be reduced or the antenna will not function sufficiently.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and provides an antenna unit, a lamp, a traffic signal lamp, and a traffic signal controller capable of improving light transmittance while ensuring antenna performance. It is an object.

Lighting device according to a first aspect of the present invention, possess a plurality of light emitters arranged in a predetermined pattern, and a cover member covering the plurality of light emitters has a visible light-transmissive forward, forward An optical unit with a light emitting direction ,
A patch element provided in a range from the cover member to the front end of the light emitter, possess a ground element located at the rear of the patch element, and an antenna that have a directional forward,
With
The patch element is made of a mesh body having an opening for transmitting visible light,
The mesh body connects a substantially rectangular frame grid composed of left and right vertical grids and upper and lower horizontal grids, at least one auxiliary horizontal grid connecting the left and right vertical grids, and the upper and lower horizontal grids. , And at least one auxiliary vertical lattice.

In the lamp according to the first aspect of the present invention, the patch element of the antenna is made of a mesh body having an opening for transmitting visible light. The mesh body includes a substantially rectangular frame grid, at least one auxiliary horizontal grid connecting the left and right vertical grids, and at least one auxiliary vertical grid connecting the upper and lower horizontal grids. Has been. In other words, the mesh body in the lamp of the present invention may have a simple configuration including at least one vertical and one horizontal grid other than the substantially rectangular frame grid constituting the outer frame of the mesh. The light transmittance of the patch element can be improved by reducing the number of gratings constituting the. In addition to the substantially rectangular frame grid, if one vertical grid and one horizontal grid are provided, the predetermined performance as an antenna can be sufficiently exhibited.
In the present specification, the shape of the intersecting portion between the auxiliary horizontal lattice and the auxiliary vertical lattice is not limited to a cruciform shape in which both lattices are simply intersected. A shape in which a ring-shaped lattice is provided in the portion may be used.

  When the plane of polarization of the antenna is vertically polarized, the mesh body has a symmetrical shape, and when the plane of polarization of the antenna is horizontally polarized, the mesh body has a vertically symmetrical shape. Preferably there is. When the plane of polarization of the antenna is vertically polarized, the shape of the mesh body is made symmetrical so that the horizontal polarization component that is the component orthogonal to the plane of polarization is less likely to be generated. This is because by making the body shape vertically symmetric, it becomes difficult to generate a vertical polarization component that is a component orthogonal to the plane of polarization.

The light emitter can be a light emitting diode. In this case, if the outer diameter of the cylindrical lens portion covering the light emitting portion of the light emitting diode is d, the thickness or width D of each lattice of the mesh body is D = The range of 0.1 to 1.0 d is preferred. According to this configuration, when a lamp is viewed from the front, light from a specific light-emitting diode is prevented from being almost completely blocked by a grid of mesh bodies arranged in front of the light-emitting diode at a certain angle. can do.

The plurality of light emitters are preferably arranged concentrically, and the mesh body is preferably square. By arranging a plurality of light emitters (LEDs, etc.) concentrically and making the mesh body a square, the light emitters that are simultaneously hidden by the grid can be visually recognized regardless of the angle from which the lamp is looked up. It is possible to reduce the number of illuminants that cannot be obtained.
A ring-shaped lattice can be provided in at least one of the intersecting portions of the auxiliary horizontal lattice and the auxiliary vertical lattice. If the light emitter is hidden behind the intersection when the auxiliary horizontal lattice and the auxiliary vertical lattice are simply crossed, a ring-shaped lattice is provided at the intersection to transmit the light emitter. Sexuality can be secured.

Lighting device according to a second aspect of the present invention, possess a plurality of light emitters arranged in a predetermined pattern, and a cover member covering the plurality of light emitters has a visible light-transmissive forward, forward An optical unit with a light emitting direction ,
A patch element provided in a range from the cover member to the front end of the light emitter, possess a ground element located at the rear of the patch element, and an antenna that have a directional forward,
With
The patch element includes a substantially cross-shaped lattice and a symmetric frame lattice disposed outside the lattice.

In the lamp according to the second aspect of the present invention, the patch element of the antenna is composed of a substantially cross-shaped lattice and a symmetric frame lattice arranged outside the lattice, and has a simple structure. In addition, excellent light transmittance can be obtained as a patch element. Further, a predetermined performance as an antenna can be sufficiently exerted by the patch element composed of two cross-shaped lattices substantially orthogonal to each other and a symmetrical frame lattice arranged on the outside.
A ring-shaped lattice can be provided at the intersection of the substantially cross-shaped lattice. In the case where the light emitter is hidden behind the intersection of the substantially cross-shaped grating, the transmittance of the light emitter can be ensured by providing a ring-shaped grating at the intersection.

Traffic signal lamp device of the present invention includes a plurality of light emitters arranged in a predetermined pattern, have a cover member for covering the plurality of light emitters has a visible light transmissive in front, a light projecting direction forward An optical unit to
A patch element provided in a range from the cover member to the front end of the light emitter, possess a ground element located at the rear of the patch element, and an antenna that have a directional forward,
With
The patch element is made of a mesh body having an opening for transmitting visible light,
The mesh body connects a substantially rectangular frame grid composed of left and right vertical grids and upper and lower horizontal grids, at least one auxiliary horizontal grid connecting the left and right vertical grids, and the upper and lower horizontal grids. , And at least one auxiliary vertical lattice.

  Also in the traffic signal lamp of the present invention, as in the case of the lamp, the mesh body includes at least one vertical grid and one horizontal grid in addition to the substantially rectangular frame grid constituting the outer frame of the mesh. The light transmittance of the patch element can be improved by reducing the number of lattices constituting the mesh. In addition to the substantially rectangular frame grid, if one vertical grid and one horizontal grid are provided, the predetermined performance as an antenna can be sufficiently exhibited.

Antenna unit lights dexterity of the present invention, the plurality of light emitters arranged in a predetermined pattern, the front have a cover member for covering the light emitter has a visible light-transmissive forward light projecting direction An antenna unit for a lamp incorporated in an optical unit,
It has a patch element provided in a range from the cover member to the front end of the light emitter so as to have directivity in the front, and a ground element provided behind the patch element,
The patch element is made of a mesh body having an opening for transmitting visible light,
The mesh body connects a substantially rectangular frame grid composed of left and right vertical grids and upper and lower horizontal grids, at least one auxiliary horizontal grid connecting the left and right vertical grids, and the upper and lower horizontal grids. , And at least one auxiliary vertical lattice.

  Also in the antenna unit of the present invention, as in the case of the lamp, the mesh body includes at least one vertical grid and one horizontal grid in addition to the substantially rectangular frame grid constituting the outer frame of the mesh. A simple configuration may be used, and the light transmittance of the patch element can be improved by reducing the number of lattices constituting the mesh. In addition to the substantially rectangular frame grid, if one vertical grid and one horizontal grid are provided, the predetermined performance as an antenna can be sufficiently exhibited.

The traffic signal controller of the present invention is a traffic signal controller connected to the traffic signal lamp and for turning on and off the traffic signal lamp,
Via the antenna, it is configured to transmit signal information relating to the display of the traffic signal lamp present and in the future to a vehicle traveling on the road where the traffic signal lamp is installed. Yes.

  According to the antenna unit, the lamp, the traffic signal lamp, and the traffic signal controller of the present invention, it is possible to improve the light transmittance while ensuring the antenna performance.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a front view of a lamp according to an embodiment of the present invention. The lamp shown in FIG. 1 is a traffic signal lamp 1 (hereinafter also simply referred to as “signal lamp”) installed on a road, and is for a vehicle.

  A support column 40 is installed on the side of a road such as a sidewalk, and an arm 41 is provided so as to protrude from the support column 40 to the roadway side, and the signal lamp 1 is attached to the arm 41. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 15 denotes an antenna coaxial cable described later.

  The signal lamp 1 includes a plurality (three in the example shown in FIG. 1) of optical units 2 and a housing 3 in which these optical units 2 are incorporated. The three optical units 2 have red, yellow, and blue lamp colors, respectively. A eaves (not shown) is attached to each optical unit 2.

  A control device 5 that controls the signal lamp 1 is attached to the support column 40. The installation structure of the signal lamp 1 may be other than that shown in the drawing, although not shown, the pillars 40 and the arms 41 may have different forms, and the signal lamp 1 is installed on a pedestrian bridge. It may be. Further, the control device 5 may be provided in the housing 3 of the signal lamp device 1.

  The control device 5 that controls lighting of the signal lamp 1 can be configured to perform wireless communication control via the antenna 4 described later (or the device that performs wireless communication control is built in the same housing. But can be a separate device. When separate, it is preferable that the device for performing the wireless communication control is installed in the vicinity of the control device for controlling the lighting of the signal lamp 1 or the like (the same column 40).

  FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional explanatory view of one optical unit 2. The optical unit 2 includes a light emitting diode 7 (hereinafter also referred to as “LED”) as a light emitter, a substrate 8 on which a plurality of LEDs 7 are mounted on a front surface 8a, a housing member 6 for housing the substrate 8, and a cover member. 9. The substrate 8 has a wiring pattern formed on the back surface thereof, and the terminal 37 of the LED 7 is connected to the wiring pattern. On the substrate 8, a plurality of LEDs 7 are arranged in a planar shape. More specifically, the plurality of LEDs 7 are arranged so as to form a concentric circular radiation pattern, and the radial dimension between adjacent concentric circles is substantially uniform (see FIG. 3).

  The LED 7 has a lens portion 38, and an LED element or a light emitting portion (not shown) that is a portion that actually emits light is provided in the lens portion 38.

  The accommodating member 6 has a dish shape having a bottom portion (bottom wall) 6a and side portions (side walls) 6b erected from the peripheral edge of the bottom portion 6a, and opens forward. A cover member 9 is attached to the opening side end face of the side portion 6b. Thereby, the accommodation space part S is formed between the accommodation member 6 and the cover member 9, and LED7 and the board | substrate 8 are accommodated in this accommodation space part S. FIG. The substrate 8 is fixed to the housing member 6. Of the accommodation space S, the front space part S1 is the front space part S1 and the rear space part S2 is the rear space part S2.

  The cover member 9 has visible light permeability (transparent to visible light) and covers the plurality of LEDs 7 in the front. In this optical unit 2, the front is the light projecting side (the cover member 9 side), and the rear is the bottom 6 a side of the housing member 6.

  An antenna 4 is incorporated in the optical unit 2. The antenna 4 is a patch antenna and includes a patch element 11 and a ground element 12. That is, in FIG. 2, the patch element 11 and the ground element 12 are stored (accommodated) in the optical unit 2, that is, in the accommodating space S.

  The patch element 1 is formed in a mesh shape with a conductor such as a conducting wire (see FIG. 3 and the like), and is supported and fixed by a support member 13 standing forward from the substrate 8. The support member 13 is made of an insulating member. The patch element 11 has a plurality of openings for transmitting visible light, and is provided in a range A from the cover member 9 to the front end 39 of the LED 7. 2, the cover member 9 has a rear surface (back surface) 9a having a concave curved surface and a front surface 9b having a convex curved surface, and the patch element 11 is provided rearward from the rear surface 9a of the cover member 9. Yes. Here, the cover member 9 is an uneven curved surface. However, if the signal lamp 1 is an LED lamp, it may be a flat surface.

  The ground element 12 is formed in a circular planar shape (flat plate shape), and is attached to the substrate 8 on the front surface 8 a of the substrate 8. For example, the ground element 12 is fastened to the housing member 6 together with the substrate 8 by screws. The ground element 12 is provided behind the patch element 11 and between the substrate 8 and the front end 39 of the LED 7 in the front-rear direction. The contour shape of the ground element 12 is larger than the contour shape of the patch element 11. In the present invention, the shape of the ground element 12 is not limited to a circle, and may be any shape as long as it is somewhat larger than the patch element 11.

  Thereby, the ground element 12 and the patch element 11 are provided in the front space portion S1, the patch element 11 is provided in a range A from the front surface 8a of the substrate 8 to the front end 39 of the LED 7, and the ground element 12 is patched. The state is provided behind the element 11. The ground element 12 and the patch element 11 are arranged opposite to each other in the front-rear direction, and the directivity of the antenna 4 is the direction from the signal lamp device 1 toward the front. That is, the light projecting direction by the optical unit 2 and the antenna directivity can be substantially matched, and the signal lamp 1 is installed at a position where the line of sight is good with respect to the vehicle. A good communication state can be obtained with an in-vehicle device (not shown).

  In addition, in order to use the signal lamp 1 in which the antenna 4 is stored in an intelligent road traffic system (ITS) that performs radio communication between road vehicles, when the use frequency is set to 715 MHz to 725 MHz, the ground element 12 and the patch are used. The space | interval of the front-back direction with the element 11 can be set to 10-40 mm. This is the case where air is interposed between the ground element 12 and the patch element 11.

  A terminal portion 19 for connecting the coaxial cable 15 for the antenna 4 is attached to the housing member 6 (bottom portion 6a), and the coaxial cable 15 extending from the control device 5 of FIG. Can do. A coaxial cable 15 a extending from the terminal portion 19 to the rear space portion S <b> 2 is connected to the antenna 4. The coaxial cable 15a includes an inner conductor 15b, an insulator 15c, an outer conductor 15d, and a covering portion 15e. The inner conductor 15b of the coaxial cable 15a is connected to the patch element 11, and the outer conductor 15d is a ground element. 12 is connected. The inner and outer conductors 15b and 15d and the elements 11 and 12 (conductor portions of each element) can be connected and fixed by soldering, but methods other than soldering may be used.

  A power cable (not shown) for the LED 7 extending from the control device 5 in FIG. 1 is connected to the LED substrate 8 via a terminal portion (not shown) attached to the bottom 6 a of the housing member 6. Yes.

  A feature of the present invention is that the patch element 11 is configured by a mesh body having an opening for transmitting visible light, and the mesh body is further connected to at least one frame grid having a substantially rectangular frame grid and left and right vertical grids. This is composed of an auxiliary horizontal lattice and at least one auxiliary vertical lattice connecting the upper and lower horizontal lattices.

  When the inventor employs a substantially rectangular mesh body as the patch element 11, as a result of various studies on the relationship between the number of lattices constituting the mesh and the antenna performance, the inventor is necessary to ensure the antenna performance. We found the condition of the number of large lattices. In other words, in addition to the substantially rectangular frame lattice that forms the outer frame of the mesh, a substantially “field” -shaped mesh having at least one vertical and one horizontal lattice satisfies the predetermined antenna performance. Found to get. In the case of this approximately “rice” -shaped mesh, the number of grids constituting the mesh is very small, three vertically and three horizontally, and light from the light emitting diodes 7 arranged behind the mesh is blocked. Probability or rate decreases. As a result, good light transmission can be ensured.

  The number of grids constituting the mesh body is not particularly limited in the present invention, but as the number increases, the antenna performance is stabilized, but on the other hand, there are more obstructions that block the light from the light emitting diodes 7 and light transmission. In general, the upper limit is about 20 in both the vertical and horizontal directions, including the number of frame lattices. The preferable upper limit value of the number of lattices is related to the thickness or width of the lattice (the outer diameter in the case where the lattice is made of wires), and the upper limit value becomes larger as the conductor has a smaller diameter. For example, in the case of a grid made of thin wires having a diameter of about 2 mm, the number of grids can be about 8 in both vertical and horizontal directions. On the other hand, in the case of a lattice made of a large-diameter wire having a diameter of about 5 mm, the length and width can be about four.

  Further, the preferred diameter of the lattice is also related to the size of the light emitter, and when the outer diameter of the cylindrical lens portion 38 that covers the light emitting portion of the light emitting diode 7 is d (see FIG. 2), The diameter D of the lattice (see FIG. 3) is preferably selected in the range of D = 0.1 to 1.0d. When the diameter D of the grid is selected in this way, when the signal lamp 1 is viewed from the front, at a certain angle, the grid from the specific light-emitting diode 7 is arranged at a certain angle by the grid of the mesh body. It is possible to suppress the light from being blocked almost completely.

  When the plane of polarization of the antenna is vertically polarized, the mesh body has a symmetrical shape, and when the plane of polarization of the antenna is horizontally polarized, the mesh body has a vertically symmetrical shape. Preferably there is. When the plane of polarization of the antenna is vertically polarized, the shape of the mesh body is made symmetrical so that the horizontal polarization component that is the component orthogonal to the plane of polarization is less likely to be generated. This is because by making the body shape vertically symmetric, it becomes difficult to generate a vertical polarization component that is a component orthogonal to the plane of polarization. Moreover, when the said several light-emitting body is arrange | positioned concentrically, it is preferable that the said mesh body is a square. When multiple light emitters (LEDs, etc.) are arranged concentrically, the mesh body is square, so that the light emitters that are simultaneously hidden by the lattice (visible due to the presence of the lattice) can be seen from any angle. It is possible to reduce the number of light emitters that cannot be used.

  The mesh body constituting the patch element 11 is disposed in the space S1 in front of the ground element 12, but the distance h from the rear end of the mesh of the mesh body to the front surface of the ground element 12 (see FIG. 3). ) Is usually in the range of 10-40 mm. This distance h is selected in consideration of the frequency characteristics and matching characteristics (VSWR) of the antenna.

Hereinafter, the lamp of the present invention will be described based on various embodiments.
[Embodiment 1]
FIG. 3 is an explanatory front view of the patch element and the light emitting unit according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In the present embodiment and each of the embodiments and reference examples described later, the arrangement pattern of the LEDs 7 is a concentric radiation pattern arranged in a cylindrical coordinate system. However, in the present invention, the arrangement pattern of the LEDs (light emitters) 7 is not limited to the concentric radiation pattern, and may be another arrangement pattern such as a lattice pattern.

  The mesh body constituting the patch element 11 has a substantially rectangular frame lattice 22 composed of left and right vertical lattices 20 and 20 and upper and lower horizontal lattices 21 and 21 and six pieces connecting the left and right vertical lattices 20 and 20. The auxiliary horizontal lattice 21a and the six auxiliary vertical lattices 20a connecting the upper and lower horizontal lattices 21 and 21 are configured. That is, the patch element 11 according to the first embodiment is formed of a mesh body in which 8 vertical and 8 horizontal grids are arranged in a mesh shape (8 × 8 elements). Each lattice is made of a conductor such as a conductive wire, and the diameter (wire diameter) can be selected in the range of 0.5 to 5.0 mm, for example. The mesh body constituting the patch element 11 is bilaterally symmetric, and the plurality of auxiliary vertical lattices 20a and the auxiliary horizontal lattices 21a are arranged so that the intervals between adjacent lattices are uniform. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 50 denotes a coaxial as an element feeding point, and this coaxial is also provided in patch elements shown in FIGS. 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24 and 27 to be described later. ing.

  FIG. 4A shows an 8 × 8 element shown in FIG. 3 in which the element size (distance between the centers of the conductors constituting the frame grating) is 171.48 mm × 171.48 mm. The antenna element has a matching characteristic (VSWR) in the case where the pitch of is 24.497 mm and the distance h from the rear end of the grating to the front surface of the ground element 12 is 26.44 mm. Showing sex. In FIG. 4B and a diagram showing the directivity of the antenna to be described later, the thin solid line indicates the directivity on the horizontal plane, and the thick solid line indicates the directivity on the vertical plane. The diameter or width of the wire constituting the lattice is 2 mm, and VSWR defines the element input as 50Ω.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the robustness of the 8 × 8 element having such specifications. In FIG. 5 and each diagram showing the robustness to be described later, the bold line indicates the element outline (element size) is the design value ± 0, the thin line indicates the element outline is the design value −0.5 mm, and the broken line indicates the element outline is the design value VSWR at +0.5 mm is shown.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, in the optical unit according to the first embodiment, the bandwidth (MHz) of VSWR <1.5 is 18, and the bandwidth (MHz) of VSWR <2.0 is 34. Yes, it has good antenna performance. As shown in FIG. 4B, the maximum directivity has a gain of about 8.9 dBi, and the range of 3 dB lower than the maximum point is 75 ° in the horizontal plane and 58 in the vertical plane. It has an angle of °, and has a sufficient beam width for wireless communication with the vehicle-mounted device in the Intelligent Transport System (ITS).

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, even when the element dimensions slightly fluctuate due to a design error or a manufacturing error, the bandwidth (MHz) of VSWR <1.5 is 12, and the bandwidth (MHz) of VSWR <2.0 is 28. It can be seen that stable antenna performance can be obtained.

[Embodiment 2]
FIG. 6 is a front explanatory view of the patch element and the light emitting unit according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. The patch element in the second embodiment is a mesh body in which six vertical and six horizontal grids are arranged in a mesh shape (6 × 6 elements). The patch element in the first embodiment is an auxiliary vertical element. The number of grids and auxiliary horizontal grids is different.

  FIG. 7 (a) shows a 6 × 6 element shown in FIG. 6 in which the element size is 166.19 mm × 166.19 mm, the pitch between adjacent gratings is 33.238 mm, and from the rear end of the grating. The matching characteristics (VSWR: element input is defined as 50Ω) of the antenna element when the distance h to the front surface of the ground element 12 is 28.29 mm are shown, and (b) shows the directivity. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the robustness of 6 × 6 elements having such specifications. The diameter or width of the wire constituting the lattice is 2 mm.

  As shown in FIG. 7A, in the optical unit according to the second embodiment, the bandwidth (MHz) of VSWR <1.5 is 16, and the bandwidth (MHz) of VSWR <2.0 is 31. Yes, it has good antenna performance. Further, as shown in FIG. 7B, the maximum directivity has a gain of about 9 dBi, and the range of 3 dB lower than this maximum is 76 ° on the horizontal plane and 58 ° on the vertical plane. It has an angle and has a sufficient beam width for wireless communication with the vehicle-mounted device in the Intelligent Transport System (ITS).

  Further, as shown in FIG. 8, even when the element size slightly fluctuates due to a design error or a manufacturing error, the bandwidth (MHz) of VSWR <1.5 is 12, and the bandwidth (MHz) of VSWR <2.0 is 28. It can be seen that stable antenna performance can be obtained.

[Embodiment 3]
FIG. 9 is an explanatory front view of the patch element and the light emitting unit according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. The patch element in the third embodiment is a mesh body in which four vertical and four horizontal grids are arranged in a mesh (4 × 4 elements). The patch element in the first embodiment is an auxiliary vertical element. The number of grids and auxiliary horizontal grids is different.

  FIG. 10A shows a 4 × 4 element shown in FIG. 9 in which the element size is 157.55 mm × 157.55 mm, the pitch between adjacent gratings is 52.516 mm, and from the rear end of the grating. The matching characteristic (VSWR: element input is defined as 50Ω) of the antenna element when the distance h to the front surface of the ground element 12 is 34.97 mm is shown, and (b) shows the directivity. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the robustness of the 4 × 4 element having such specifications. The diameter or width of the wire constituting the lattice is 2 mm.

  As shown in FIG. 10A, in the optical unit according to the third embodiment, the bandwidth (MHz) of VSWR <1.5 is 18, and the bandwidth (MHz) of VSWR <2.0 is 33. Yes, it has good antenna performance. Further, as shown in FIG. 10B, the maximum directivity has a gain of about 8.8 dBi, and the range of 3 dB lower than the maximum point is 75 ° on the horizontal plane and 56 ° on the vertical plane. It has an angle of °, and has a sufficient beam width for wireless communication with the vehicle-mounted device in the Intelligent Transport System (ITS).

  Further, as shown in FIG. 11, even when the element dimensions slightly fluctuate due to a design error or a manufacturing error, the bandwidth (MHz) of VSWR <1.5 is 13 and the bandwidth (MHz) of VSWR <2.0 is 28. It can be seen that stable antenna performance can be obtained.

[Embodiment 4]
FIG. 12 is an explanatory front view of the patch element and the light emitting unit according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. The patch element according to the fourth embodiment is formed of a mesh body in which four vertical and three horizontal grids are arranged in a mesh shape (4 × 3 elements). The patch element according to the first embodiment is an auxiliary vertical element. The number of grids and auxiliary horizontal grids is different.

  FIG. 13A shows a 4 × 3 element shown in FIG. 12 in which the element size is 160.20 mm × 160.20 mm, and the pitch between adjacent lattices is 80.1 mm in length and 53.4 mm in width. , Shows the antenna element matching characteristics (VSWR: element input is defined as 50Ω) when the distance h from the rear end of the grating to the front surface of the ground element 12 is 35 mm, and (b) shows the directivity. Show. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the robustness of the 4 × 3 element having such specifications. The diameter or width of the wire constituting the lattice is 2 mm.

  As shown in FIG. 13A, in the optical unit according to Embodiment 4, the bandwidth (MHz) of VSWR <1.5 is 19, and the bandwidth (MHz) of VSWR <2.0 is 33. Yes, it has good antenna performance. Further, as shown in FIG. 13B, the maximum directivity has a gain of about 9.0 dBi, and the range of 3 dB lower than the maximum point is 73 ° on the horizontal plane and 57 ° on the vertical plane. It has an angle of °, and has a sufficient beam width for wireless communication with the vehicle-mounted device in the Intelligent Transport System (ITS).

  Further, as shown in FIG. 14, even when the element size slightly fluctuates due to a design error or a manufacturing error, the bandwidth (MHz) of VSWR <1.5 is 14 and the bandwidth (MHz) of VSWR <2.0 is 26. It can be seen that stable antenna performance can be obtained.

[Embodiment 5]
FIG. 15 is an explanatory front view of the patch element and the light emitting unit according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. The patch element in the fifth embodiment is composed of a mesh body in which three vertical and three horizontal grids are arranged in a mesh shape (3 × 3 elements). The patch element in the first embodiment is an auxiliary vertical element. The number of grids and auxiliary horizontal grids is different. In Embodiment 5, the number of auxiliary vertical lattices and auxiliary horizontal lattices is one and a minimum number of auxiliary lattices are arranged, and the mesh body has a shape of a “rice”.

  FIG. 16 (a) shows a 3 × 3 element shown in FIG. 15, in which the element size is 149.38 mm × 149.38 mm, the pitch between adjacent gratings is 74.688 mm, and from the rear end of the grating. The matching characteristics (VSWR: element input is defined as 50Ω) of the antenna element when the distance h to the front surface of the ground element 12 is 40.5 mm are shown, and (b) shows directivity. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing the robustness of the 3 × 3 element having such specifications. The diameter or width of the wire constituting the lattice is 2 mm.

  As shown in FIG. 16A, in the optical unit according to Embodiment 5, the bandwidth (MHz) of VSWR <1.5 is 18, and the bandwidth (MHz) of VSWR <2.0 is 33. Yes, it has good antenna performance. Further, as shown in FIG. 16B, the maximum directivity has a gain of about 8.6 dBi, and the range of 3 dB lower than the maximum point is 75 ° on the horizontal plane and 57 ° on the vertical plane. It has an angle of °, and has a sufficient beam width for wireless communication with the vehicle-mounted device in the Intelligent Transport System (ITS).

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 17, even when the element size slightly varies due to a design error or a manufacturing error, the bandwidth (MHz) of VSWR <1.5 is 15 and the bandwidth (MHz) of VSWR <2.0 is 30. It can be seen that stable antenna performance can be obtained.

[Reference Example 1]
FIG. 18 is an explanatory front view of the patch element and the light emitting section in Reference Example 1 of the present invention. The patch element in Reference Example 1 is composed of a mesh body in which four vertical and two horizontal grids are arranged in a mesh shape (4 × 2 elements). The patch element in Embodiment 1 is an auxiliary vertical grid And the number of auxiliary lateral grids is different. More specifically, the number of auxiliary vertical lattices is two, but the number of auxiliary horizontal lattices is zero, and the horizontal lattice is only the upper and lower horizontal lattices constituting the frame lattice.

  FIG. 19A shows a 4 × 2 element shown in FIG. 18 in which the size of the element is 156 mm × 156 mm, the pitch between adjacent vertical gratings is 52 mm, and the ground element 12 extends from the rear end of the grating. 2 shows the antenna element matching characteristics (VSWR: element input is defined as 50Ω) when the distance h to the front surface is 26.0 mm, and (b) shows the directivity. FIG. 20 is a diagram showing the robustness of the 4 × 2 element having such specifications. The diameter or width of the wire constituting the lattice is 2 mm.

  As shown in FIG. 19A, in the optical unit according to Reference Example 1, the bandwidth (MHz) of VSWR <1.5 is 6, and the bandwidth (MHz) of VSWR <2.0 is 12. The bandwidth is narrower than that of the embodiment. Further, as shown in FIG. 19B, the maximum directivity has a gain of about 8.9 dBi, and the range of 3 dB lower than the maximum point is 75 ° in the horizontal plane and 58 in the vertical plane. It has an angle of °, and has a sufficient beam width for wireless communication with the vehicle-mounted device in the Intelligent Transport System (ITS).

  However, when the element dimensions slightly change due to a design error, a manufacturing error, etc., as shown in FIG. 20, there is no band where VSWR <1.5 (0 MHz), and VSWR <2.0. Has a very narrow bandwidth (MHz) of 5, and stable antenna performance is not obtained.

[Reference Example 2]
FIG. 21 is an explanatory front view of the patch element and the light emitting section in Reference Example 2 of the present invention. The patch element in Reference Example 2 is composed of a mesh body in which three vertical and two horizontal grids are arranged in a mesh shape (3 × 2 elements), and the patch element in the first embodiment is an auxiliary vertical grid And the number of auxiliary lateral grids is different. More specifically, the number of auxiliary vertical lattices is one, but the number of auxiliary horizontal lattices is zero, and the horizontal lattice is only the upper and lower horizontal lattices constituting the frame lattice.

  FIG. 22 (a) shows a 3 × 2 element shown in FIG. 21, in which the element size is 146.0 mm × 146.0 mm, the pitch between adjacent vertical gratings is 73.00 mm, This shows the antenna element matching characteristics (VSWR: element input is defined as 50Ω) when the distance h from the rear end to the front surface of the ground element 12 is 38.5 mm, and (b) shows the directivity. ing. FIG. 23 is a diagram showing the robustness of the 3 × 2 element having such specifications. The diameter or width of the wire constituting the lattice is 2 mm.

  As shown in FIG. 22A, in the optical unit according to Reference Example 2, the bandwidth (MHz) of VSWR <1.5 is 12, and the bandwidth (MHz) of VSWR <2.0 is 24. Has good antenna performance. Further, as shown in FIG. 22B, the gain has a gain of about 8.6 dBi at the maximum directivity point, and the range of 3 dB reduction from this maximum point is 76 ° on the horizontal plane and 57 ° on the vertical plane. It has an angle of °, and has a sufficient beam width for wireless communication with the vehicle-mounted device in the Intelligent Transport System (ITS).

However, it can be seen from the diagram showing the robustness in FIG. 23 that stable antenna performance cannot be obtained when the element dimensions slightly vary due to design errors, manufacturing errors, and the like.
In the case of FIG. 23, the band where VSWR <1.5 is 6 MHz, and the band where VSWR <2.0 is 17 MHz. In the same robustness evaluation in the embodiment, VSWR <1.5 and 10 MHz or more, A bandwidth of 20 MHz or more is realized with VSWR <2.0.

[Reference Example 3]
FIG. 24 is an explanatory front view of the patch element and the light emitting section in Reference Example 3 of the present invention. The patch element in Reference Example 3 is a mesh body in which two vertical and three horizontal grids are arranged in a mesh (2 × 3 elements), and the patch element in the first embodiment is an auxiliary vertical grid And the number of auxiliary lateral grids is different. More specifically, the number of auxiliary horizontal lattices is one, but the number of auxiliary vertical lattices is zero, and the vertical lattices are only the left and right vertical lattices constituting the frame lattice.

  25 (a) and 25 (b), each of the 2 × 3 elements shown in FIG. 24 has an element size of 174.2 mm × 174.2 mm and a pitch between adjacent lateral gratings of 87 × 87. 26 shows the antenna element matching characteristics (VSWR: element input is defined as 50Ω) when the distance h from the rear end of the grating to the front surface of the ground element 12 is 90 mm, and FIG. Is shown. The diameter or width of the wire constituting the lattice is 2 mm.

  As shown in FIG. 25, in the optical unit according to Reference Example 2, the bandwidth (MHz) of VSWR <1.5 is 4, and the bandwidth (MHz) of VSWR <2.0 is 9. Compared to the embodiment, the band characteristics are very narrow. In addition, as shown in FIG. 26, the gain is about −6.3 dBi in the front direction of directivity, and radio waves are not emitted in the front direction of the antenna. It has become.

[Reference Example 4]
FIG. 27 is an explanatory front view of the patch element and the light emitting section in Reference Example 4 of the present invention. The patch element in Reference Example 4 is composed of a mesh body in which two vertical and two horizontal grids are arranged in a mesh shape (2 × 2 elements). Unlike the patch element in the first embodiment, an auxiliary vertical grid is used. In addition, the auxiliary horizontal lattice is not employed, and the mesh body is composed only of the upper and lower horizontal lattices and the left and right vertical lattices constituting the frame lattice.

  FIG. 28 (a) shows an antenna when the element size is 132 mm × 132 mm and the distance h from the rear end of the grating to the front surface of the ground element 12 is 42 mm in the 2 × 2 element shown in FIG. The matching characteristic of the element (VSWR: the element input is defined as 50Ω) is shown, and (b) shows the directivity. The diameter or width of the wire constituting the lattice is 2 mm.

As shown in FIG. 28 (a), in the optical unit according to Reference Example 4, the bandwidth (MHz) of VSWR <1.5 and the bandwidth (MHz) of VSWR <2.0 are both zero. The matching characteristics / bandwidth characteristics required for an antenna cannot be secured. Further, as shown in FIG. 28B, the maximum directivity has a gain of about 7.4 dBi, and the range of 3 dB lower than this maximum is 64 ° on the horizontal plane and 56 ° on the vertical plane. Has an angle of °.
Table 1 summarizes the above results. Further, FIG. 29 and FIG. 30 show the relationship between the number of grids (vertical × horizontal) at the design value and the bandwidth, and the relationship between the number of grids (vertical × horizontal) and the bandwidth at the robustness, respectively. In FIGS. 29 and 30, a portion surrounded by an ellipse is a portion having antenna characteristics “good” (corresponding to Embodiments 1 to 5 in this specification).

  The control device 5 (traffic signal controller) for controlling the traffic signal lamp 1 described above is configured to transmit the traffic signal lamp to a vehicle traveling on a road where the traffic signal lamp 1 is installed or a nearby road via an antenna 4. Signal information regarding the current and future indications of the device 1 can be provided.

  The signal information refers to information on the current or future signal lamp color displayed by the traffic signal lamp 1, and includes information on the scheduled display duration of each signal lamp color, the display order, and the like.

  For example, the currently displayed lamp color is a blue light and its scheduled duration is 5 seconds, the next displayed lamp color is a yellow signal and its scheduled duration is 8 seconds, and the next displayed lamp color. It is preferable to include information such as a right turn blue arrow light whose estimated duration is 5 to 10 seconds in a predetermined format. Note that only the currently displayed lamp color and its duration may be provided, or information for one cycle may be provided collectively. Further, in addition to these pieces of information, parameter information related to the control, information on a time zone in which the control is performed, and the like may be included at the point where the point sensitive control is performed.

  Then, the vehicle-side computer on the vehicle side that has received the signal information estimates the time required to reach the stop line from the distance to the stop line and the traveling speed, acceleration, etc. of the vehicle, and after the required time has elapsed. Can be estimated. For example, even if a green signal is displayed at the present time, if the signal light color is predicted to be a red signal when arriving at the stop line, the in-vehicle computer is safely stopped before the stop line. Can be controlled. Conversely, if it can be determined that the vehicle can safely pass through the intersection unless the vehicle is decelerated, control may be performed to maintain the speed.

  Further, the in-vehicle computer may perform not only control driven by the in-vehicle device but also operation for assisting the driving operation of the driver such as brake assist.

  The in-vehicle computer may notify the vehicle occupant of the determination result by voice or image information. For example, a voice message such as “The signal will change soon and should be stopped” may be emitted to the driver, or may be displayed on the screen of the head-up display or the navigation device with characters and symbols.

  The lamp of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the signal lamp may be for pedestrians as well as for vehicles. Further, the light emitter included in the signal lamp device may be a light bulb other than the LED. In each of the above embodiments, the ground element 12 is circular. However, other than this, the ground element 12 may be rectangular.

Further, in the above embodiment, a patch element made of a mesh body is used. However, as shown in FIG. 31, a substantially cross-shaped lattice 100 and a bilaterally symmetrical arrangement arranged on the outside of the lattice 100. It is also possible to use the patch element 111 configured with the frame grid 122 of the above. The symmetrical frame grid 122 may be circular as shown in FIG. 31 (b), or may have a shape in which the corners of the rectangle are rounded as shown in FIG. 31 (a). Also good.
Even in the patch element 111 having such a configuration, similarly to the patch element 11 made of a mesh body, it is possible to improve the light transmittance while ensuring the antenna performance. Note that the two lattices constituting the substantially cross-shaped lattice 100 are not necessarily arranged along the vertical direction or the horizontal direction as shown in FIGS. 31A and 31B. ) And can be arranged inclined with respect to the vertical direction or the horizontal direction.
Also, as shown in FIG. 32, a ring-shaped lattice 101 can be provided at the intersection of the substantially cross-shaped lattice 100. In the example shown in FIG. 32B, a second substantially cross-shaped lattice 120 and a ring-shaped lattice 130 are further arranged inside the ring-shaped lattice 101. In the example shown in FIG. 32C, the second and third ring-shaped gratings 140 and 150 are arranged concentrically with the ring-shaped grating 101. In the case where the light emitter is hidden behind the intersection of the substantially cross-shaped grating, the transmittance of the light emitter can be ensured by providing a ring-shaped grating at the intersection. The ring-shaped lattice can be provided at at least one of the intersecting portions of the auxiliary horizontal lattice and the auxiliary vertical lattice in the above-described embodiment. Also in this case, by providing a ring-shaped lattice at the intersection, it is possible to ensure the transparency of the light emitter.

  Furthermore, it should be thought that embodiment disclosed this time is a mere illustration in all points, and is not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the meanings described above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

It is a front view of one embodiment of the lamp of the present invention. It is a cross-sectional explanatory view of the optical unit in the lamp shown in FIG. It is front explanatory drawing of the patch element and light emission part in Embodiment 1 of this invention. (A) is a figure which shows VSWR by the antenna which concerns on Embodiment 1, (b) is a figure which shows the directivity of the horizontal surface of the said antenna, and a perpendicular surface. 4 is a diagram illustrating robustness of the antenna according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is front explanatory drawing of the patch element and light emission part in Embodiment 2 of this invention. (A) is a figure which shows VSWR by the antenna which concerns on Embodiment 2, (b) is a figure which shows the directivity of the horizontal surface of the said antenna, and a perpendicular surface. 6 is a diagram illustrating robustness of an antenna according to Embodiment 2. FIG. It is front explanatory drawing of the patch element and light emission part in Embodiment 3 of this invention. (A) is a figure which shows VSWR by the antenna which concerns on Embodiment 3, (b) is a figure which shows the directivity of the horizontal surface of the said antenna, and a perpendicular surface. 6 is a diagram illustrating robustness of an antenna according to Embodiment 3. FIG. It is front explanatory drawing of the patch element and light emission part in Embodiment 4 of this invention. (A) is a figure which shows VSWR by the antenna which concerns on Embodiment 4, (b) is a figure which shows the directivity of the horizontal surface of the said antenna, and a perpendicular surface. It is a figure which shows the robustness of the antenna which concerns on Embodiment 4. FIG. It is front explanatory drawing of the patch element and light emission part in Embodiment 5 of this invention. (A) is a figure which shows VSWR by the antenna which concerns on Embodiment 5, (b) is a figure which shows the directivity of the horizontal surface of the said antenna, and a perpendicular surface. It is a figure which shows the robustness of the antenna which concerns on Embodiment 5. FIG. It is front explanatory drawing of the patch element and light emission part in the reference example 1. FIG. (A) is a figure which shows VSWR by the antenna which concerns on the reference example 1, (b) is a figure which shows the directivity of the horizontal surface of the said antenna, and a perpendicular surface. It is a figure which shows the robustness of the antenna which concerns on the reference example 1. FIG. It is front explanatory drawing of the patch element and light emission part in the reference example 2. FIG. (A) is a figure which shows VSWR by the antenna which concerns on the reference example 2, (b) is a figure which shows the directivity of the horizontal surface of the said antenna, and a perpendicular surface. It is a figure which shows the robustness of the antenna which concerns on the reference example 2. FIG. It is front explanatory drawing of the patch element and light emission part in the reference example 3. FIG. It is a figure which shows VSWR by the antenna which concerns on the reference example 3. FIG. It is a figure which shows the directivity of the horizontal surface of an antenna which concerns on the reference example 3, and a vertical surface. It is front explanatory drawing of the patch element and light emission part in the reference example 4. (A) is a figure which shows VSWR by the antenna which concerns on the reference example 4, (b) is a figure which shows the directivity of the horizontal surface of the said antenna, and a perpendicular surface. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the number of grids (vertical x horizontal) and a bandwidth by a design value. It is a figure which shows the number of grids (vertical x horizontal) and bandwidth in robustness. It is a figure explaining the other aspect of the patch element in this invention. It is a figure explaining the further another aspect of the patch element in this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Signal lamp 2 Optical unit 4 Antenna 5 Control apparatus 6 Housing member 7 Light emitting diode 8 Board | substrate 9 Cover member 11 Patch element 12 Ground element 20 Vertical grating | lattice 20a Auxiliary vertical grating | lattice 21 Horizontal grating | lattice 21a Auxiliary horizontal grating | lattice 22 Frame grating | lattice 100 Grid 101 Ring-shaped grid 111 Patch element 122 Frame grid

Claims (10)

A plurality of light emitters arranged in a predetermined pattern, an optical unit have a cover member for covering the plurality of light emitters has a visible light transmission in the forward direction to the forward light projecting direction,
A patch element provided in a range from the cover member to the front end of the light emitter, possess a ground element located at the rear of the patch element, and an antenna that have a directional forward,
With
The patch element is made of a mesh body having an opening for transmitting visible light,
The mesh body connects a substantially rectangular frame grid composed of left and right vertical grids and upper and lower horizontal grids, at least one auxiliary horizontal grid connecting the left and right vertical grids, and the upper and lower horizontal grids. The lamp is composed of at least one auxiliary vertical lattice.   When the plane of polarization of the antenna is vertically polarized, the mesh body has a symmetrical shape, and when the plane of polarization of the antenna is horizontally polarized, the mesh body has a vertically symmetrical shape. The lamp according to claim 1.   When the light emitting body is a light emitting diode and the outer diameter of the cylindrical lens portion covering the light emitting portion of the light emitting diode is d, the thickness or width D of each lattice of the mesh body is D = 0.1-1. The lamp according to claim 1, which is in a range of 0.0 d.   The lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the plurality of light emitters are arranged concentrically, and the mesh body is square.   The lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a ring-shaped lattice is provided in at least one of the intersecting portions of the auxiliary horizontal lattice and the auxiliary vertical lattice. A plurality of light emitters arranged in a predetermined pattern, an optical unit have a cover member for covering the plurality of light emitters has a visible light transmission in the forward direction to the forward light projecting direction,
A patch element provided in a range from the cover member to the front end of the light emitter, possess a ground element located at the rear of the patch element, and an antenna that have a directional forward,
With
The said patch element is comprised with the substantially cross-shaped grating | lattice and the left-right symmetrical frame grating | lattice arrange | positioned on the outer side of this grating | lattice.   The lamp according to claim 6, wherein a ring-shaped lattice is provided at an intersecting portion of the substantially cross-shaped lattice. A plurality of light emitters arranged in a predetermined pattern, an optical unit have a cover member for covering the plurality of light emitters has a visible light transmission in the forward direction to the forward light projecting direction,
A patch element provided in a range from the cover member to the front end of the light emitter, possess a ground element located at the rear of the patch element, and an antenna that have a directional forward,
With
The patch element is made of a mesh body having an opening for transmitting visible light,
The mesh body connects a substantially rectangular frame grid composed of left and right vertical grids and upper and lower horizontal grids, at least one auxiliary horizontal grid connecting the left and right vertical grids, and the upper and lower horizontal grids. A traffic signal lamp comprising at least one auxiliary vertical grid. A plurality of light emitters arranged in a predetermined pattern, the lighting dexterity incorporated forward have a cover member for covering the light emitter has a visible-light transmittance in the front in the optical unit to a light projecting direction antenna unit Because
It has a patch element provided in a range from the cover member to the front end of the light emitter so as to have directivity in the front, and a ground element provided behind the patch element,
The patch element is made of a mesh body having an opening for transmitting visible light,
The mesh body connects a substantially rectangular frame grid composed of left and right vertical grids and upper and lower horizontal grids, at least one auxiliary horizontal grid connecting the left and right vertical grids, and the upper and lower horizontal grids. An antenna unit for a lamp device comprising at least one auxiliary vertical lattice. A traffic signal controller connected to the traffic signal lamp according to claim 8 for turning on and off the traffic signal lamp,
Via the antenna, it is configured to transmit signal information related to the display of the current and future traffic signal lamps to a vehicle traveling on a road where the traffic signal lamps are installed. Traffic signal control machine.

Images