EP0736981B1 - System for acquiring and transmitting information to central points - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a system for detecting along predetermined traffic routes determined information and Transfer the information to central locations.

Such a system is known from GB-A-1 435 415 (J. Kavalier et al.). This document describes a system for Detection of longitudinal predetermined traffic routes determined Information and to transfer the information to central Where the person concerned collects information at the posts concerned arranged in the corresponding spatial Raster arranged transmitters are connected, which are the Information in a predetermined time frame to a send central recipient.

The information of road users about traffic conditions, for example traffic density and path condition, local weather conditions, Emergencies and the like is usually inadequate and not current. Such information is so far from different Institutions without systematics and with sometimes low level of up-to-dateness by traffic police, towing services, personnel taken by car driver associations and traffic radio stations and passed on.

The invention has for its object to provide a solution with the latest, on request at any time retrievable information offered to road users and existing information systems can be used as far as possible.

This object is achieved by a system according to claim 1.

With the system according to the invention, by means of Meßwerterfassern for road condition, traffic status, weather conditions, emergencies etc. current information on traffic conditions and collects Central offices, which in turn process this information and spread again, is optimal traffic information and management possible.

Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the subject invention are given in the subclaims.

In the following the invention will be described with reference to two in the drawing illustrated embodiments, each a message collection and transport system show, explained in more detail.

Fig. 1 shows a message collection and transport system of the Kind multipoint to point. Here are along a driveway, on the one with a mobile phone MT and a radio receiver R equipped vehicle located, in particular neuralgic routes, at certain intervals information collectors IE arranged, which are completely self-sufficient for themselves. They are distributed in a certain grid and increase certain times information on. This can be active or passively by means of electromagnetic, optical, acoustic, electrical, magnetic or other physical effects respectively. The system has to transmit this information two levels, namely a single information level and a Collecting information level.

First, the individual information level is considered more closely. At intervals of approx. 100 m to 1 km, stations S am Mode of transport edge, e.g. Road, river, railway line. The information provider (s) are / are each of these senders IE whose contents should be forwarded. The Transmitters S send the information of the connected to them Information collector IE in a predetermined time frame a central receiver E, all transmitters S in these each associated predetermined periods of time receives. It follows that the transmitter partly with high transmission power because their position is far away and without Visual connection to the central receiver E can be.

It is therefore advantageous that the transmitter S additionally each a receiver E included in a predetermined period of time receives the broadcast of the adjacent station and in a second period sends the message again, the is then received by its neighbor, who has this message in sends out a third period again. The passing on from transceiver S / E to transceiver S / E will continue until the message in an nth period of time at the central Receiver E has arrived (bucket chain principle). The transceivers S / E have each to their nearest neighbor in the Bucket chain line of sight. When passing through transceivers to transceivers may be to the transceiver S / E each connected sensors (information recorder) IE their Insert data in the message frame. Such a system of the type point to point to end is shown in FIG.

The length of each bucket chain can be very different. The determination of a maximum length of the group telegram as Standard always leads to the same and sometimes very long transmission time. It is therefore very beneficial if per transceiver S / E the data record of the connected sensors individually transferred in a separate bucket chain cycle becomes.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the system provided that the message telegram on each retransmission is extended to the next station by the message part, the belongs to this sending station. This requires short Bucket chains short transmission times, long accordingly longer transmission times. At the beginning of the reception time slot the recipient is for a short time (fraction of a Telegram length) forcibly switched on; is there a signal the receiver is held ready to receive and switches off as soon as the reception input signal disappears.

At the collection information level, one or more bucket chains are connected to a central receiver E. This Collect the information and give it to a second information system M with a base station BS, which is a public (PLMN) or private mobile radio system, an operating radio system (FSO), a traffic information system, etc. (cf. Fig. 2). The only prerequisite here is that the information system is capable of transmitting data. The headquarters of this The higher-level system evaluates the data and distributes it the road users, e.g. via a third radio-like Information system (RS) or via the aforementioned mobile radio system, Operational radio system etc.

By favorable choice of the transmission-reception periods is achieves that only a single frequency for all transceivers S / E of all bucket chains is required because the transmission powers be so low because of the existing line of sight can, that at the same frequency for the same period after a few kilometers away can be used again.

The transceivers S / E are advantageous with the information gatherers (Sensors, imagers ...) integrated and from powered by a solar generator. All features not to certain times, a timer switches, which is assigned to each transceiver. The Clocks of all transceivers are synchronized, for example by a common high-precision radio signal. The clock controls likewise all temporal sequences of the transceivers S / E and of the central recipient E.

Each entitled person can according to the extent of its authorization the information of the transceivers, the central Retrieve the recipient or the parent system. The transferred Information can be status messages from sensors, image data of cameras, notifications of emergency call buttons, etc.

In the system, the vehicles can also be time-synchronous Use transmitter. With operation of the hazard warning lights, the Airbags, the belt sensors or an emergency button is a Telegram to the permanently installed transceiver units S / E cleverly. These listen in a same time slot everywhere periodically on such emergency telegrams. The content can be: Vehicle registration number, emergency button pressed and / or airbag, Belt sensor, hazard warning lights or similar triggered. The central receiver E gets this information after passing the bucket chain, adds the location information and the time to and transfers to the Parent system that sends the information to the service center SC forwards. If a vehicle additionally has a time-synchronous Recipient owns, can the emergency message of another Vehicle can also be intercepted along the route traveled, on the emergency message just in the bucket-chain procedure is transported.

The central receiver (box A in Fig. 2) may also be additional be equipped with a transmitter (dashed rimmed Box B in Fig. 2). Then any messages, which are interesting for the respective route, by bucket chain be transferred to the vehicles. This is done in one other time cycle and with reverse timing, so that the message moves away from the central transceiver.

In an advantageous embodiment of the system is also provided that at certain times from each transceiver station S / E sends a test telegram instead of a measured value message is to the function of the bucket chain or the transceiver to check and locate possible defects.

Sensors in the vehicle can send messages about speed, Engine speed, "ignition on", etc. to a driving condition situation to the fixed transceiver units sent and passed on to the central station Be where they are together with the information of other vehicles be evaluated.

Claims (14)

1. System for acquiring information obtained along predefined traffic routes and for transmitting the information to central points, characterised by information acquisition units (IE) arranged at the relevant points, which are connected to transmit/receive units (S/E), via which the information is forwarded as far as a central station in predefined time periods in a chain via respectively adjacent stations.
2. System according to claim 1, characterised in that during forwarding from the transmit/receive unit to the respectively adjacent transmit/receive unit (S/E) the data from the information acquisition units connected respectively to the transmit/receive units (S/E) is inserted into a telegram.
3. System according to claim, characterised in that the data set of the connected information acquisition unit is transmitted individually in a specific bucket brigade cycle for each transmit/receive unit.
4. System according to claim 1, characterised in that the report telegram is extended each time it is forwarded to the next station to include the report element associated with said transmitting station.
5. System according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that one or more bucket brigade systems is/are connected to a central receiver (A), which collects the information and routes it to a second information system, the centre of which evaluates the data and distributes it to the road users.
6. System according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterised by selection of the transmit/receive time periods such that only one frequency is required for all transmit/receive units (S/E) of all bucket brigade systems.
7. System according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the transmit/receive units (S/E) are integrated with the information acquisition units (IE).
8. System according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that all functions that are not required at certain times are disconnected by means of a time switch clock assigned to each transmit/receive unit and in that the time switch clocks of all transmit/receive units are time-synchronous in respect of each other.
9. System according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that any authorised party can call up information from the transmit/receive units, the central receiver (A) and the higher-order system according to the scope of their authorisation.
10. System according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterised in that the vehicles use time-synchronous transmitters and receivers.
11. System according to claim 10, characterised in that on activation of certain vehicle devices (hazard light system, airbag, belt sensor, etc.) a telegram is sent to the permanently installed transmit/receive units, which respond to such telegrams periodically in a universally identical time slot.
12. System according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterised in that the central receiver (A) is also equipped with a transmitter to transmit any reports of relevance to the respective route by means of the bucket brigade system to the vehicles.
13. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a test telegram is sent at specific times from every transmit/receive station instead of a data report, to verify operation and locate possible defects.
14. System according to claim 10, characterised in that sensors in the vehicle combine reports about velocity, engine speed, "ignition on", etc. to provide a vehicle status report, which is sent to the permanently installed transmit/receive units and forwarded to the central station, where it is evaluated along with information from other vehicles.

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