JP2003203258A - Charge receiving system using roadside wireless installation by leaky-waveguide antenna and roadside wireless installation - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a charge receiving system and a roadside wireless installation capable of receiving a charge required for movement of a vehicle by generating a wide radio range without forming a shade of the vehicle and without controlling time division or frequency division, on lanes where the vehicle can move at high speed. <P>SOLUTION: This charge receiving system is equipped with this leaky- waveguide antenna 23 installed on an overhead position (on the elevated part 30a of a frame 30) facing to the lanes LN<SB>2</SB>so as to form the radio range A10 in a prescribed range (the length L<SB>1</SB>in the traveling direction of the lanes LN<SB>2</SB>or the like) on the lanes LN<SB>2</SB>on a toll road where the vehicle CR can move at high speed. In the system, this roadside wireless installation 20 is used, which performs radio communication on information on reception of the charge required for movement of the vehicle CR with an in-vehicle unit 10 loaded on the vehicle CR running on the lane LN<SB>2</SB>through the leaky-waveguide antenna 23. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a toll collection system using a roadside wireless device with a leaky waveguide antenna, and particularly to a road-vehicle distance between a vehicle running at a high speed on a lane such as a toll road. The present invention relates to a system and a roadside wireless device for collecting fees by communication.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art DS is used on toll roads such as expressways.
RC (Dedicated Short Ra)
using the narrow communication range covered by radio waves in the 5.8 GHz band (microwave) using the N. Communication system to perform wireless communication with the vehicle-mounted device mounted on the vehicle. ETC (non-stop automatic toll collection system: El that enables electronic collection)
electronic Toll Collection)
Is being put to practical use. An example of this ETC is shown in FIGS.

The ETC shown in FIG. 5 is installed at, for example, a tollgate (entrance and exit) of a highway, and a tollgate gate device 1 provided beside the tollgate booth 101 is openable and closable.
A frame-shaped gantry (frame) 103 that straddles the traveling lane (ETC lane) L1 is placed on the front side of 02, and the roadside of the roadside wireless device for DSRC at a predetermined position in the center overlooking the traveling lane LN1 of the gantry 103. Antenna 10
4 are arranged.

The radio wave from the roadside antenna 104 is, as shown in FIG. 6, a traveling lane L beside the toll booth 101.
A spot-shaped narrow range communication radio range A1 is formed on N1 and E mounted on a vehicle CR entering the radio range A1.
Wireless communication is possible with the TC vehicle-mounted device 105 (for example, an IC card issued by a credit company can be inserted). As a result, the toll gate device 102 is automatically opened and closed so that the vehicle CR can pass through the toll gate nonstop. Toll collection at this time will be ETC at a later date
It is automatically deducted from the account of the financial institution designated by the user of the vehicle CR based on the information of the IC card inserted in the vehicle-mounted device 105.

The narrow range communication radio area A1 covered by the radio waves from the ETC antenna 104 is usually a place such as a highway toll gate (toll gate) where the traveling lane L1 is close to collect the toll. Is formed. That is, in the ETC shown in this example, since the fee payment is performed in one lane called the toll gate lane, the antenna 10 having an extremely narrow area is used.
4 is used.

[0006]

In the above ETC, there is also a need to settle the charge by wireless communication while the vehicle is traveling on the main line of the expressway, not at the tollgate. In this case, since there are a plurality of lanes (running lanes) on the main line (for example, 2 to 4 lanes on each side), the antenna 10 that covers the narrow range A1 of the conventional example described above.
When 4 is used, in order to cover all the lanes on the main line of the highway, 1) a method of combining multiple antennas, 2) a method of expanding the communication area of one antenna (widening the radio range A1) , Etc. can be considered.

In the countermeasure 1), as shown in FIG.
A plurality of (three in the illustrated example) antennas 104 to 104 are installed so as to cover all lanes (three in the illustrated example) on the main line LN2 of the highway. However, there is a region (radio interference region) in which the antennas 104 to 104 interfere with each other between the radio regions A1 to A1. Therefore, in order to prevent the occurrence of the radio interference region, the antennas 104 to 104 are arranged.
It is necessary to perform "time division control" or "frequency division control" for each radio wave radiated from the.

However, in the case of "time division control", the amount of information that can be communicated per unit time decreases because the time that can be used for communication is divided into a plurality of times. Also,
In the case of "frequency division control", the vehicle-mounted device can perform communication in synchronization with one frequency, but the lane change to the adjacent lane on the main line LN2 as shown in FIG. If the frequency of the radio wave to be communicated changes depending on the way the vehicle is driven, the frequency selection process needs to be performed again. Therefore, the vehicle exits the radio range A1 during this reselection, and May not be completed.

Further, in the countermeasure 2), as shown in FIG. 9, when viewed from the antenna 104 having a wide communication area, on the main line LN2, for example, a predetermined size of a truck or the like traveling in the center lane is provided. Vehicles that exceed the limit (large vehicles) CR1
It is conceivable that the shadow of the radio wave may be formed on the lanes on both sides of the lane due to this, and it is normal for the vehicle CR2 that is running in the shade of the radio wave on the lanes on both sides of the lane. May not be able to communicate with.

The present invention has been made in consideration of such a conventional situation, and in the lane in which the vehicle can move at high speed, without making the shade of the vehicle and controlling the time division or the frequency division. An object of the present invention is to provide a toll collection system and a roadside wireless device that can generate a wide radio wave range and can collect tolls necessary for moving a vehicle.

[0011]

To achieve the above object, a toll collection system using a roadside wireless device with a leaky waveguide antenna according to the present invention is provided with a radio wave within a predetermined range on a lane in which a vehicle can move at high speed. With a leaky waveguide antenna installed at a ground position facing the lane so as to form a circle,
Use of a roadside wireless device that wirelessly communicates information regarding toll collection necessary for moving the vehicle with an on-vehicle device mounted on the vehicle moving on the lane via the leaky waveguide antenna Is characterized by. The lane is provided on the main line of a toll road such as an expressway.

As a preferred example of the present invention, the leaky waveguide antenna is installed 1) so as to extend in the width direction of the lane, and 2) so as to extend in at least one row in the width direction of the lane. 3) It is installed so as to extend in a wavy shape in the vehicle traveling direction of the lane.

A roadside radio apparatus according to the present invention includes a leaky waveguide antenna installed at a ground position facing a lane in which a vehicle can move at a high speed so as to form a radio wave range of a predetermined range. Information relating to fee collection required for moving the vehicle is wirelessly communicated with an on-vehicle device mounted on the vehicle traveling on the lane via the leaky waveguide antenna.

[0014]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of a toll collection system and a roadside wireless device using a roadside wireless device with a leaky waveguide antenna according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an outline of a fee collection system according to this embodiment. The toll collection system shown in FIG. 1 is applied to, for example, a toll collection system for expressways (toll roads). In the toll collection system shown in this example, a vehicle CR traveling at a high speed on a main line LN2 composed of two lanes on each side (two lanes) is connected to an on-vehicle device 10 mounted on the vehicle CR. Microwave used in DSRC (5.8
A roadside wireless device 20 that performs wireless communication of data S1 regarding toll collection on a highway by a radio wave in the GHz band) is provided.

The roadside radio device 20 is an application of the DSRC roadside radio device, and relates to a charge collection under the control of the control part 21 for performing various communication controls according to the communication protocol by the DSRC and the control part 21. Data S
Radio unit 22 that performs various processes such as modulation / demodulation of 1 and transmission / reception
And the leaky waveguide antenna 2 connected to the radio unit 22.
3 and 3. Of these, the control unit 21 and the wireless unit 22 are
A known configuration of the roadside wireless device such as DSRC can be applied.

The leaky waveguide antenna 23 is not particularly limited to any type as long as it is a type capable of radiating microwaves, and for example, a plurality of slits capable of leaking and radiating microwave radio waves are formed. Either type of waveguide or coaxial cable can be applied. The leaky waveguide antenna 23 is mounted on a frame-shaped mount (gantry) 30 installed so as to straddle the main line L2 of the expressway. In the illustrated example, the pedestal 30 includes leg portions (elevated support portions) 30a and 30a having a predetermined height T1 provided at two positions on both ends (both sides) sandwiching the main line L2 in the width direction, and the two legs. It is composed of an opening body having an elevated portion 30b extending between the portions 30a and 30a in parallel to the road surface while maintaining the ground height T1 and connecting in a pedestrian bridge (overpass) shape.

That is, in the leaky waveguide antenna 23, a direction orthogonal to or substantially orthogonal to the traveling direction of the main line L2 on the side of the elevated portion 30b of the pedestal 30 that faces (looks over) the main line L2 to the lower side (of the main line LN2). A predetermined length W1 along the width direction)
On the leg 30a side of the gantry 30 and is alternately folded at predetermined intervals D1 to extend in a plurality of rows (two rows in the example in the drawing) in a wavy shape (rectangular wave shape).

The dimensions of the leaky waveguide antenna 23 (ground height T1: row length W1: row-to-row distance (spacing) D1, etc.)
And the arrangement pattern (a wavy pattern) is the size of the target radio range A10 (the length L1 in the traveling direction of the main line LN2).
Etc.), size (scale) and shape, leaky waveguide antenna 23
Can be appropriately set according to various conditions such as radio wave propagation characteristics from the antenna, antenna installation property, and manufacturing cost thereof.

FIG. 2 shows an outline of the radio range A10 covered by the leaky waveguide antenna 23. The radio range A10 reflects the straightness of the microwave radiated from the leaky waveguide antenna 23, and is formed, for example, on the main line L2 over a range of several meters to several tens of meters. This radio range A
Size of 10 (length L1 of the main line LN2 in the vehicle traveling direction)
Can be widened by increasing the number of rows of the leaky waveguide antennas 23 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, for example. Incidentally. In this case, the leaky waveguide antenna 23 may be arranged in either a wavy (rectangular wave) pattern as shown in FIG. 3 or a spiral (spiral) pattern as shown in FIG. Other patterns,
In short, any one can be applied as long as the radio range A10 in the predetermined range can be formed.

Therefore, according to the present embodiment, since the leaky waveguide antenna 23 is used, the radio wave range A10 can be flexibly created due to the characteristics of the radio wave propagation, the shadow of the radio wave does not occur, and the time division control is also performed. A vehicle CR that does not require frequency division control and moves at high speed on the main line LN2 of the expressway.
It is possible to secure stable communication with. As a result, it becomes possible to settle charges that require a more stable communication area. In addition to this, the size of the radio wave range A10 can be easily adjusted (set, set, by the arrangement of the leaky waveguide antenna 23).
There is also an advantage that you can change).

In this embodiment, the expressway (toll road)
However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the point is that the present invention is applicable to any system that requires a toll collection to move the vehicle on a lane in which the vehicle can move at high speed. is there.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described representative embodiments and modifications thereof, and a person skilled in the art deviates from the gist of the invention based on the contents of the claims. It can be modified and changed into various modes within the range not to do. These changes and modifications also belong to the scope of rights of the present invention.

[0024]

As described above, according to the present invention,
By using a leaky waveguide antenna, a wide radio range can be generated on the lane where the vehicle can move at high speed without creating a shadow of the vehicle and controlling the time division or frequency division, and moving the vehicle. It is possible to provide a toll collection system and a roadside wireless device capable of collecting tolls required for the above.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a toll road toll collection system using a roadside wireless device with a leaky waveguide antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a radio wave range of a leaky waveguide antenna.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an arrangement example of a wave pattern of a leaky waveguide antenna and its radio wave range.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an arrangement example of a spiral pattern of a leaky waveguide antenna and its radio wave range.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a conventional ETC system.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a tollgate type radio range of a conventional example.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a problem in a radio wave range in which a plurality of antennas of a conventional example are combined.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a problem when frequency division is performed in a conventional example.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a problem of the conventional one-antenna system having a wide radio wave range.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 Onboard equipment 20 Roadside wireless device 21 Control unit 22 Radio 23 Leaky Waveguide Antenna 30 mounts (on the main line of the highway) 30a leg 30b elevated part Main line of L2 Expressway CR vehicle A10 radio range LN2 Expressway main line

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A leaky waveguide antenna is provided at a ground position facing a lane in which a vehicle can move at a high speed so as to form a radio wave range of a predetermined range, and the leaky waveguide antenna is provided. A toll collection characterized by using a roadside wireless device that wirelessly communicates information regarding toll collection required for the movement of the vehicle with an on-vehicle device mounted on the vehicle moving on the lane via system. 2. The toll collection system according to claim 1, wherein the leaky waveguide antenna is installed so as to extend in a width direction of the lane. 3. The toll collection system according to claim 1, wherein the leaky waveguide antenna is installed so as to extend in at least one row in a width direction of the lane. 4. The toll collection system according to claim 1, wherein the leaky waveguide antenna is installed so as to extend in a wave shape in a vehicle traveling direction of the lane. 5. A leaky waveguide antenna is provided at a ground position facing a lane so that a vehicle can move at a high speed so as to form a radio range within a predetermined range, and the leaky waveguide antenna is provided. A roadside wireless device, which wirelessly communicates information regarding toll collection required for the movement of the vehicle with an on-vehicle device mounted on the vehicle moving on the lane via the vehicle.