JP2008204306A - Off-line beacon system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an off-line beacon system which reduces the number of devices and communication expenses necessary for communication between a center device and beacons and also reduces a load imposed on a center device. <P>SOLUTION: The off-line beacon system is provided with; road-side base stations 40 which transmit information by means of wireless communication; a center device 20 which supplies the information which the road-side base stations 40 transmit; and an information-updating mobile station 30 which is provided with a mobile function and receives the information which the center device 20 supplies and delivers it to the road-side base stations 40. An off-line arrangement is made between the road-side base stations 40 and the center device 20. The information-updating mobile station 30 receives the information which the center device 20 supplies, moves to a place at which a road-side base station 40 is arranged, and delivers the information, which it receives from the center device 20, to the road-side base station 40. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an information providing system using an offline beacon (a beacon that is not connected to a center device by a communication line or the like).

  In the past, in the road regulation notice notification system applied to roads where the regulation situation changes depending on the time zone, or roads where the regulation situation changes temporarily, the DSRC method used for ETC etc. Supporting safe and smooth driving when driving a vehicle in an unfamiliar place, etc. by notifying the driver in advance (notice notification) of information on traffic regulation sections such as traffic restrictions and time restrictions Features. As a technology, “a DSRC transmitter 10 attached to the warning sign 3 is under the control of the management device 30 provided in the center 5 and a message in a traffic regulation section corresponding to a change in the regulation status corresponding to the sign content”. Information is transmitted to the vehicle 4 traveling in the vicinity, and the driver is notified of the current regulation status of the traffic regulation section by voice, video, or the like via the in-vehicle device 20 of the vehicle 4. Is proposed (Patent Document 1).

  In an information providing system using a conventional beacon system (VICS, DSRC, etc.) as described in Patent Document 1, a method of providing information to be provided from a center device at any time using a communication line or the like is common. is there.

JP 2002-269681 A (summary)

When using a method of aggregating information in the center device and distributing the information to each beacon, the center device requires a communication device and a communication line for collecting a plurality (several tens to several hundreds) of beacons. The construction requires a great deal of cost and large construction.
In addition, since the center device provides different information for each of a plurality of beacons, it is necessary to regenerate the information to be provided for each beacon whenever the information to be provided changes, and high speed and large capacity information processing capability is required. It is done. Furthermore, when a failure occurs in the center device or the communication control device, provision of information from the beacon is stopped.
In addition, information that is not often updated or information whose provision period is known in advance (for example, construction information) needs to be stored in the center device until the provision period.
Therefore, there has been a demand for an offline beacon system that can reduce the devices and communication costs required for communication between the center device and each beacon and reduce the load on the center device.

The offline beacon system according to the present invention is:
An information providing beacon device for transmitting information by wireless communication;
A center device for supplying information transmitted by the information providing beacon device;
An information updating device having a moving function, receiving information supplied by the center device and delivering the information to the information providing beacon device;
Have
The information providing beacon device and the center device are arranged offline,
The information update device includes:
Receiving information supplied by the center device;
Move to the place where the information providing beacon device is located,
Information received from the center device is delivered to the information providing beacon device.

According to the offline beacon system according to the present invention, no special device or communication cost is required for communication between the center device and each offline beacon, and the load on the center device can be reduced.
In addition, since the information update device can provide information to each offline beacon asynchronously, the center device does not need to have a high-speed and large-capacity processing capability.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of an offline beacon system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Here, a description will be given by taking as an example a system that distributes information such as road congestion to vehicles traveling on a road from roadside base stations arranged at various locations in an urban area.
In FIG. 1, 10 is an information supply source device, 20 is a center device, 30 is an information update mobile station, and 40a to 40e are roadside base stations. The center device 20 and the roadside base stations 40a to 40e are not connected by a communication line or the like, and therefore both are arranged offline.

The information supply source device 10 is a device that collects and distributes information such as road congestion for distribution to vehicles, and plays a role as a primary supply source of distribution information. The collected information is supplied to the center device 20. VICS (Vehicle Information and Communication System) or the like corresponds to this.
The information supply source device 10 collects road information from traffic counters and the like installed at various places and supplies the collected road information to the center device 20. Although illustrated as a single device in FIG. 1, a system including a plurality of devices may be used.
The center device 20 is installed remotely from the city area of FIG. 1, receives information collected by the information supply source device 10, organizes and processes the information into information corresponding to each roadside base station, Update information for each roadside base station is provided to the update mobile station 30.
The information update mobile station 30 is mounted on a vehicle or the like, and plays a role of delivering update information received from the center device 20 to each roadside base station.
The roadside base stations 40a to 40e are arranged everywhere on roads in an urban area, generate and accumulate distribution information based on the update information received from the information update mobile station 30, and provide road information and the like to vehicles passing nearby. To deliver.

The “information providing beacon device” in the first embodiment corresponds to the roadside base stations 40a to 40e.
The “information update device” corresponds to the information update mobile station 30 and a vehicle or the like on which the information update mobile station 30 is mounted.

In FIG. 1, the center apparatus 20 and the roadside base stations 40a to 40e are arranged offline. However, when the information update mobile station 30 delivers the update information to each roadside base station, the roadside base stations 40a to 40e are new. Information can be distributed to nearby passing vehicles.
The frequency at which the information updating mobile station 30 delivers update information to the roadside base stations 40a to 40e may be appropriately set according to the contents of the distribution information, system operating conditions, and the like.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the center device 20.
The center device 20 includes a processing device (information generating device) 21, a roadside wireless device 22, an antenna (antenna) 23, and an information DB 24.
The processing device 21 receives road information from the information supply source device 10 by wired or wireless communication and stores it in the information DB 24.
The roadside apparatus 22 is an apparatus for performing communication by a wireless communication method such as DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication).
The antenna 23 is an antenna used by the roadside apparatus 22 to perform wireless communication.
The information DB 24 is a database that includes a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and an information recording file stored therein, and has a function of accumulating road information received from the information supply source device 10.

  The roadside wireless device 22 and the aerial line 23 are not necessarily installed at the same location as the processing device 21 and the information DB 24, and may be installed at a remote location via a communication device or the like.

  FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the information updating mobile station 30, the roadside base stations 40 a to 40 e, and the vehicle side mobile station 50.

The information updating mobile station 30 includes an in-vehicle control device 31, an in-vehicle wireless device 32, an antenna 33, and an information DB 34.
The in-vehicle control device 31 controls information communication with the center device 20 and information communication with the roadside base stations 40a to 40e.
The in-vehicle wireless device 32 is a device for performing communication by a wireless communication method such as DSRC. The communication system is unified with the center device 20 and the roadside base stations 40a to 40e.
The antenna 33 is an antenna used by the in-vehicle wireless device 32 for wireless communication.
The information DB 34 is a database that includes a storage device such as an HDD and an information recording file stored therein, and has a function of accumulating road information received from the center device 20.
Similar to the center device 20, these configurations may be integrated or separated.

The roadside base stations 40 a to 40 e have the same configuration as the information updating mobile station 30.
The vehicle-side mobile station 50 is mounted on a vehicle that passes in the vicinity of the roadside base stations 40a to 40e. It has the same configuration as that of the information updating mobile station 30 except that the information DB is not provided.
These configurations may be configured integrally or may be configured separately.

  FIG. 4 is an operation sequence of the offline beacon system according to the first embodiment. Hereinafter, each step will be described.

(1) Information provision The information supply source device 10 provides road information to the center device 20 by wired or wireless communication or the like. The provision timing may be appropriately set according to the information content, system operation conditions, and the like.

(2) Providing information generation The processing device 21 provided in the center device 20 generates information for distribution to individual roadside base stations (40a to 40e in FIG. 1) based on the road information received from the information supply source device 10. Generate.
The generated information is stored in the information DB 24.
(3) Provided information distribution The information updating mobile station 30 and a vehicle equipped with the mobile station move within the communication range of the roadside wireless device 22 included in the center device 20.
The center device 20 distributes information for distribution to each roadside base station 40 to the information updating mobile station 30 using the roadside radio device 22 and the antenna 23.
The information updating mobile station 30 receives this information via the antenna 33 and the in-vehicle wireless device 32 and stores it in the information DB 34.

(4) Mobile Station Authentication The information updating mobile station 30 and vehicles equipped with the mobile station travel to the vicinity of each roadside base station 40 by traveling in the city area of FIG. When the information updating mobile station 30 reaches the communication range of the roadside base station 40, communication is started between the two via the antenna and the wireless device.
The roadside base station 40 performs authentication of the information updating mobile station 30, and does not perform subsequent communication if it is not a regular information updating mobile station 30. If it is a legitimate information updating mobile station 30, the process proceeds to the next step (5).
(5) Provision Information Update The information update mobile station 30 transmits information for updating the information stored in the roadside base station 40 via the in-vehicle wireless device 32 and the antenna 33.

(6) Provision of provided information The roadside base station 40 receives update information via the antenna 43 and the roadside apparatus 42 and stores it in the information DB 44. This update information includes a distribution schedule.
At this time, the roadside base station 40 transmits an operation status log or the like to the information updating mobile station 30 via the roadside wireless device 42 and the antenna 43. The information updating mobile station 30 refers to this and uses it for diagnosis or the like of whether or not a failure or the like has occurred in the roadside base station 40.
(7) Scheduling The roadside control device 41 included in the roadside base station 40 executes scheduling processing based on the distribution schedule received together with the update information in step (6).
(8) Information Provision The roadside control device 41 included in the roadside base station 40 starts distributing information stored in the information DB 44 according to the distribution schedule set in step (7).
A vehicle-side mobile station 50 mounted on a vehicle passing in the vicinity of the roadside base station 40 receives distribution information via the antenna 53 and the in-vehicle wireless device 52.

As described above, according to the first embodiment, when the information updating mobile station 30 passes through the communication area of the roadside base station 40, the roadside base automatically performs a predetermined authentication process. Information stored in the station 40 can be updated. Further, the roadside base station 40 can receive the distribution schedule at the same time, accumulate the previous distribution schedule information in advance, and distribute the information according to the schedule.
Thereby, even if the center apparatus 20 and the roadside base station 40 are arrange | positioned offline, it is always possible to supply new information.
Furthermore, when providing the update information to the roadside base station 40, by receiving the log of the operation status, etc., the operation status can be periodically grasped without constantly monitoring the roadside base station 40 by the center device 20. Can do.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
In the first embodiment, the configuration and the operation example in which the update information is delivered to the roadside base station 40 by the information update mobile station 30 have been described.
However, when the distribution area is very large, it is difficult to cover the entire area with one information update mobile station 30. In the case where update information is distributed using a plurality of information update mobile stations 30, this problem can be solved to some extent. However, if the distance between each distribution area and the center device 20 is long, time and effort are still required. Cost.
Therefore, in the second embodiment of the present invention, an information update base station is provided for each information distribution area, and necessary information is distributed from the center device 20 to the information update base station of each distribution area. A configuration and an operation example in which update information is distributed using the information update mobile station 30 will be described.

FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram of the offline beacon system according to the second embodiment.
In FIG. 5, the information providing source device 10 and the center device 20 are the same as those described in the first embodiment. The information updating mobile station 30 is assumed to be mounted on a regularly operating vehicle such as a route bus that travels in the area.
The information update base station 60 is installed in each distribution area, and receives information for distribution to the area from the center device 20. The installation location is a base where a route bus equipped with the information updating mobile station 30 such as a station or a bus terminal always stops.
The roadside base stations 40a-40e shall be arrange | positioned on the service route of a route bus.

The center device 20 distributes road information and the like for the roadside base station 40 in the area to the information update base station 60 by wired or wireless communication.
The information update base station 60 distributes the received road information or the like to the information update mobile station 30 mounted on the route bus or the like.
The information update mobile station 30 passes the vicinity of the roadside base stations 40a to 40e as the bus travels on the service route, and distributes update information to each roadside base station 40 when it passes.
Thereby, since the information stored in the roadside base station 40 is automatically updated every time the bus is regularly operated, the information can be updated periodically.
Since other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted.

  The “sub-center apparatus” in the second embodiment corresponds to the information update base station 60.

FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram of the center apparatus 20 and the information update base station 60.
The center device 20 includes a communication device 25 and has a function of distributing road information and the like to the information updating base station 60. The communication device 25 is a wired or wireless communication device. When wireless, the communication device 25 may also be used as the roadside wireless device 22 and the antenna 23 described in FIG. 2 of the first embodiment.
The information updating base station 60 includes a roadside wireless device 62, an antenna 63, and a communication device 65.
The roadside wireless device 62 is a device for performing communication by a wireless communication method such as DSRC. The communication method is unified with the roadside base stations 40a to 40e.
The antenna 63 is an antenna used by the in-vehicle wireless device 62 for wireless communication.
The communication device 65 communicates with the communication device 25 included in the center device 20 and receives road information and the like.
These configurations may be configured integrally or may be configured separately.

  FIG. 7 is an operation sequence of the offline beacon system according to the second embodiment. Hereinafter, each step will be described.

(1) Information Provision The center device 20 provides road information and the like to the information update base station 60 by wired or wireless communication. The provision timing may be appropriately set according to the information content, system operation conditions, and the like.

(2) Mobile station authentication The information update mobile station 30 and the route bus equipped with the mobile station move to the installation position of the information update base station 60. When the information update mobile station 30 reaches the communication range of the information update base station 60, communication is started between the two via an antenna and a radio device.
The information update base station 60 authenticates the information update mobile station 30, and does not perform subsequent communication if it is not a regular information update mobile station 30. If it is a legitimate information updating mobile station 30, the process proceeds to the next step (3).
(3) Provided Information Distribution The information update base station 60 distributes information for distribution to each roadside base station 40 to the information update mobile station 30 using the roadside radio device 62 and the antenna 63.
The information updating mobile station 30 receives this information via the antenna 33 and the in-vehicle wireless device 32 and stores it in the information DB 34.

(4) Mobile station authentication to (8) Information provision Since this is the same as steps (4) to (8) in FIG.

  In the second embodiment, the route bus has been described as an example. However, the mobile station 30 for updating information may be installed in any regular operation vehicle. For example, it may be mounted on a road maintenance management vehicle or a police car.

As described above, according to the second embodiment, by installing the information update base station 60 in front of the station or at the bus terminal, and mounting the information update mobile station 30 on the regular operation vehicle such as a route bus, It is possible to periodically update road information and the like provided from the roadside base station 40 to the vehicle side mobile station 50.
This eliminates the need to connect the roadside base station 40 and the center device 20 online, and eliminates the need for a communication device or a communication line laying work, thereby reducing the communication load and downsizing of the center device 20. It becomes.

Embodiment 3 FIG.
In the second embodiment, the information updating mobile station 30 is mounted on a regularly operating vehicle such as a route bus, and the information updating base station 60 is installed at a station, a bus terminal or the like, and information on the roadside base station 40 is periodically provided. The configuration and operation example for updating are described.
However, when the roadside base station 40 is installed at a location off the route of a regularly operating vehicle such as a route bus, there remains a problem about updating these information. In addition, the information update interval depends on the frequency of service of the route bus and the like.
Therefore, in Embodiment 3 of the present invention, an information updating base station 60 is installed at an intersection with a large amount of traffic, and a public vehicle (taxi, community bus, communication bus, etc.) other than a route bus is used. The information of the base station 40 is updated.

FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram of the offline beacon system according to the third embodiment.
In FIG. 8, as in FIG. 5, the information update base station 60a is installed at the station, and the information update base stations 60b to 60d are installed at intersections where traffic is heavy.
The roadside base stations 40a to 40e are arranged on the route of the route bus, but the roadside base station 40f is assumed to be installed at a point off the route.
A regular operation vehicle such as a route bus receives update information from the information update base station 60a installed in the station (or bus terminal) and distributes it to the roadside base station 40 on the route, as in the second embodiment. .
For the roadside base station 40f deviated from the bus route, when a public vehicle other than the route bus receives update information from any of the information update base stations 60a to 60d and passes the vicinity of the roadside base station 40f, Distribute update information.

The center device 20 distributes road information and the like for the roadside base station 40 in the area to the information update base stations 60a to 60d by wired or wireless communication.
Compared to Embodiment 2, the number of information update base stations is increased, but since the number is less than the number of roadside base stations, the communication load is rather than distributing information directly to all roadside base stations. Can be suppressed.

FIG. 9 is a functional block diagram of the information updating base station 60 according to the third embodiment.
The information update base station 60 includes a roadside control device 61, a roadside wireless device 62, an antenna 63, an information DB 64, and a communication device 65.
The roadside control device 61 controls information communication with the center device 20 and information communication with the information updating mobile station 30.
The roadside wireless device 62 is a device for performing communication by a wireless communication method such as DSRC. The communication system is unified with the roadside base stations 40a to 40f.
The antenna 63 is an antenna used by the roadside apparatus 62 to perform wireless communication.
The information DB 64 is a database that includes a storage device such as an HDD and an information recording file stored therein, and has a function of accumulating road information received from the center device 20.
The communication device 65 communicates with the communication device 25 included in the center device 20 and receives road information and the like.
These configurations may be configured integrally or may be configured separately.
Since other configurations are the same as those of the second embodiment, description thereof is omitted.

  FIG. 10 is an operation sequence of the offline beacon system according to the third embodiment. Hereinafter, each step will be described.

(1) Information provision The center apparatus 20 provides road information etc. to the information update base stations 60a-60d by wired or wireless communication. The provision timing may be appropriately set according to the information content, system operation conditions, and the like.

(2) Mobile station authentication The information update mobile station 30 and the route bus and other public vehicles equipped with the mobile station move to any of the information update base stations 60a to 60d. When the information update mobile station 30 reaches the communication range of any of the information update base stations 60a to 60d, communication is started between the two via the antenna and the wireless device.
The information update base stations 60 a to 60 d perform authentication of the information update mobile station 30, and do not perform subsequent communication if the information update base station 30 is not a regular information update mobile station 30. If it is a legitimate information updating mobile station 30, the process proceeds to the next step (3).
(3) Provided information distribution The information update base stations 60 a to 60 d distribute information to be distributed to each roadside base station 40 to the information update mobile station 30 using the roadside radio device 62 and the antenna 63.
The information updating mobile station 30 receives this information via the antenna 33 and the in-vehicle wireless device 32 and stores it in the information DB 34.

(4) Mobile station authentication to (8) Information provision Since this is the same as steps (4) to (8) in FIG.

  As described above, according to the third embodiment, an information update base station is installed at an intersection with a large amount of traffic, and a roadside base station installed at a location off the route by a public vehicle other than a route bus. Since the information is updated, it is possible to update the information by installing a roadside base station offline at a place other than the route such as a route bus.

  In Embodiments 1 to 3 described above, an urban road traffic system has been described as an example. However, the object of the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to any beacon system in which information can be updated by a mobile station. is there.

  In the first to third embodiments, the example in which DSRC is used as the wireless communication method has been described. However, this is an example, and a communication method such as a wireless LAN may be used.

1 is a conceptual diagram of an offline beacon system according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the center device 20. FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of an information updating mobile station 30, roadside base stations 40a to 40e, and a vehicle side mobile station 50. FIG. 4 is an operation sequence of the offline beacon system according to the first embodiment. It is a conceptual diagram of the offline beacon system concerning Embodiment 2. 3 is a functional block diagram of a center device 20 and an information update base station 60. FIG. It is an operation | movement sequence of the offline beacon system which concerns on Embodiment 2. FIG. FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram of an offline beacon system according to Embodiment 3. 6 is a functional block diagram of an information update base station 60 according to Embodiment 3. FIG. It is an operation | movement sequence of the offline beacon system which concerns on Embodiment 3. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Information supply apparatus, 20 Center apparatus, 21 Processing apparatus, 22 Roadside radio apparatus, 23 Aerial line, 24 Information DB, 25 Communication apparatus, 30 Information update mobile station, 31 In-vehicle control apparatus, 32 In-vehicle radio apparatus, 33 Aerial line, 34 Information DB, 40a to 40e Roadside base station, 41 Roadside control device, 42 Roadside wireless device, 43 Aerial line, 44 Information DB, 50 Car side mobile station, 51 In-vehicle control device, 52 In-vehicle wireless device, 53 Aerial line, 60 Information update Base station, 61 roadside control device, 62 roadside radio device, 63 antenna, 64 information DB, 65 communication device.

Claims (4)

An information providing beacon device for transmitting information by wireless communication;
A center device for supplying information transmitted by the information providing beacon device;
An information updating device having a moving function, receiving information supplied by the center device and delivering the information to the information providing beacon device;
Have
The information providing beacon device and the center device are arranged offline,
The information update device includes:
Receiving information supplied by the center device;
Move to the place where the information providing beacon device is located,
The offline beacon system characterized in that information received from the center device is delivered to the information providing beacon device. The information providing beacon device includes:
Perform predetermined authentication processing when receiving information from the information updating device,
The offline beacon system according to claim 1, wherein information is received only from a regular information update device. Having one or more sub-center devices that receive information supplied by the center device;
The sub-center device is
When requested by the information update device to deliver the information received from the center device,
Perform a predetermined authentication process on the information update device,
The offline beacon system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the information received from the center device is delivered only to a regular information updating device. The sub-center device is
Comprising storage means for storing information for the information providing beacon device to transmit,
The information providing beacon device receives information from the center device and stores it in the storage means,
The offline beacon system according to claim 3, wherein the information is held in the storage unit until the information update device requests the information received from the center device to be delivered.

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