JP2017021705A - Communication system and on-vehicle communication device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a communication system and an on-vehicle communication device that allow a vehicle not mounted with a device for receiving an optical signal to use information obtained by the optical signal from a roadside communication device.SOLUTION: An on-vehicle communication device 10a mounted on a vehicle 1a receives traffic light information transmitted by optical signal by a roadside communication device 3 installed on a road. The on-vehicle communication device 10a transmits the received traffic light information by radio wave signal to a radio communication device 4 installed outside the vehicle. The radio communication device 4 having received the traffic light information broadcasts the received traffic light information by radio. The vehicle 1a and a vehicle 1b that are situated within the arrival range of a radio wave signal broadcasted by radio by the radio communication device 4 and comprise the on-vehicle communication device 10a and an on-vehicle communication device 10b for receiving the radio wave signal respectively can receive the traffic light information. In other words, the traffic light information can be transferred from the vehicle 1a capable of receiving the optical signal to the vehicle 1b not capable of receiving the optical signal via the radio communication device 4.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a communication system and an in-vehicle communication device that transmit and receive information related to a traffic light obtained from a roadside communication device installed on a road.

  In recent years, there is a system that provides various types of information to a vehicle from a roadside communication device installed on a road using an optical signal. The information transmitted from the roadside communication device to the vehicle may include information such as the lighting state of the traffic light and the switching timing. In a vehicle that has acquired information on such a traffic light, based on the current position, the distance to the traffic signal, the traveling speed of the vehicle, etc., the prediction of the lighting state of the traffic light when the vehicle reaches the intersection where the traffic signal is installed, And processing, such as calculation of the recommended speed for passing without stopping this intersection, can be performed, and a driver can be notified of a processing result.

  In Patent Document 1, a light detector transmits lane information to a vehicle using light waves, a DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication) roadside device for providing information transmits traffic information using radio waves, and the vehicle receives these Has proposed a traffic information system that extracts traffic information about a traveling lane indicated by lane information and controls output of a warning message of a car navigation system to prompt the driver to decelerate or change lanes.

JP 2012-212445 A

  However, the above-described system has a problem that it cannot be used unless an apparatus for receiving an optical signal transmitted from a roadside communication device is mounted on the vehicle.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to use information obtained from an optical signal from a roadside communication device even in a vehicle not equipped with a device that receives the optical signal. A communication system and an in-vehicle communication device are provided.

  The communication system according to the present invention wirelessly communicates with an optical signal receiving unit that receives an optical signal from a roadside communication device that transmits information related to a traffic signal as an optical signal, and a device installed outside the vehicle by a radio signal. An in-vehicle communication device having a communication control unit that performs control to wirelessly transmit the information by the wireless communication unit when the optical signal reception unit receives the information related to the traffic light at the optical signal reception unit; A wireless communication unit that is installed outside the vehicle and performs wireless communication using a radio signal, and when the wireless communication unit receives information on the signal from the in-vehicle communication device, at least a vehicle having a radio signal reception function, And a wireless communication apparatus having a communication control unit that performs control to wirelessly transmit the information by the wireless communication unit.

  In the communication system according to the present invention, the communication control unit of the wireless communication device broadcasts the information to a vehicle that is within a reach of a radio signal transmitted by the wireless communication unit. .

  In the communication system according to the present invention, the wireless communication device further includes a communication unit that communicates with a server device, and the communication control unit of the wireless communication device is configured to perform the in-vehicle communication at the wireless communication unit. When information related to the traffic signal is received from a device, the information is transmitted to the server device by the communication unit. The server device communicates with the wireless communication device, and the communication unit A related information transmission processing unit that performs processing for transmitting related information related to the information to the wireless communication device in the communication unit when information related to the traffic light is received from the wireless communication device; The communication control unit of the wireless communication device wirelessly transmits the related information when the communication unit receives the related information from the server device.

  In addition, the communication system according to the present invention includes an optical signal receiving unit that receives an optical signal from a roadside communication device that transmits information related to a traffic light as an optical signal, a communication unit that communicates with a portable communication device, And when the information which concerns on the said signal apparatus is received in the said optical signal receiving part, the vehicle-mounted communication apparatus which has a communication control part which performs control which transmits this information to the said portable communication apparatus by the said communication part, The said vehicle-mounted When a communication unit that communicates with a communication device, a wireless communication unit that performs wireless communication using a radio signal, and information related to the traffic signal is received by the communication unit, the information is wirelessly transmitted by the wireless communication unit. A portable communication device having a communication control unit for performing transmission control, a wireless communication unit that is installed outside the vehicle and performs wireless communication using radio wave signals, and information related to the signal device from the portable communication device in the wireless communication unit Receive Case, the vehicle having a reception function of at least the radio signal, characterized by comprising a radio communication apparatus having a communication control unit which performs control to wirelessly transmit the information by the wireless communication unit.

  An in-vehicle communication device according to the present invention is mounted on a vehicle and installed outside a vehicle by an optical signal receiving unit that receives the optical signal from a roadside communication device that transmits information related to a traffic signal using an optical signal. A wireless communication unit that performs wireless communication with the received device, and when the optical signal receiving unit receives information on the traffic signal, the wireless communication unit is configured to transmit the information to the outside of the vehicle. A first communication control unit that performs control to wirelessly transmit to the communication device; and a second communication control unit that performs control to receive information on the traffic signal transmitted from the wireless communication device by the wireless communication unit. It is characterized by.

  In this invention, the vehicle-mounted communication apparatus mounted in the vehicle receives the information which concerns on the traffic signal which the roadside communication apparatus installed in the road transmits with an optical signal. The information related to the traffic light can be information such as the lighting state of the traffic light and the switching timing. The in-vehicle communication device transmits the received information related to the traffic signal to a wireless communication device installed outside the vehicle by a radio wave signal. The wireless communication device that has received the information related to the traffic light from the vehicle wirelessly transmits the received information. Accordingly, information relating to the traffic signal can be received by a vehicle that is within the reach of the radio signal transmitted by the radio communication device and that has a radio signal reception function. That is, it is possible to transfer information related to the traffic light from the vehicle that can receive the optical signal to the vehicle that cannot receive the optical signal via the wireless communication device. Even in a vehicle that cannot receive an optical signal, it is possible to acquire information on the traffic light and provide a driver or the like with a service using this information.

  In the present invention, a wireless communication device that has received information from the in-vehicle communication device broadcasts this information. As a result, one or a plurality of vehicles existing within the radio signal reachable range of the wireless communication device can simultaneously acquire information.

  In the present invention, the wireless communication device communicates with the server device. When the wireless communication device receives information on the traffic light from the in-vehicle communication device, the wireless communication device transmits this information to the server device. The server device transmits related information related to the received information related to the traffic light to the wireless communication device. The related information may be information such as traffic information around traffic lights, traffic jam information, or accident information. The wireless communication device that has received the relevant information from the server device wirelessly transmits the relevant information to the vehicle. As a result, the vehicle can acquire the related information together with the information related to the traffic light, and can provide a more advanced service.

  Moreover, in this invention, the vehicle-mounted communication apparatus which receives the optical signal from a roadside communication apparatus does not have a function which performs radio | wireless communication with a radio | wireless communication apparatus. Instead, the in-vehicle communication device communicates with a portable communication device having a function of performing wireless communication with the wireless communication device, and communicates with the wireless communication device via the portable communication device. Thereby, even if it is a vehicle which does not have a function of wireless communication, communication with a wireless communication apparatus can be performed using portable communication apparatuses, such as a mobile phone or a smart phone which a driver | operator has.

  In the case of the present invention, the in-vehicle communication device that has received the information related to the traffic signal by the optical signal from the roadside communication device transmits this information to the wireless communication device by the radio signal, and the wireless communication device wirelessly transmits the information to another vehicle. By adopting the configuration, it is possible to use information related to the traffic signal even in a vehicle that cannot receive an optical signal.

It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the outline | summary of the communication system which concerns on this Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a roadside communication apparatus. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a vehicle-mounted communication apparatus. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a radio | wireless communication apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the traffic signal information transmission process which a roadside communication apparatus performs. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the process which a vehicle-mounted communication apparatus performs. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the transfer process of the signal information which a radio | wireless communication apparatus performs. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a communication system according to Embodiment 2. FIG. FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a server device according to a third embodiment. 14 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of traffic signal information transfer processing performed by the wireless communication apparatus according to the third embodiment. 14 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of processing performed by the server device according to the third embodiment.

<Embodiment 1>
Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings showing embodiments thereof. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining an outline of a communication system according to the present embodiment. The communication system according to the present embodiment includes a roadside communication device 3 installed on a road, vehicle-mounted communication devices 10a and 10b mounted on vehicles 1a and 1b, and a wireless communication device 4 installed at an appropriate location outside the vehicle. It is prepared for. In the drawing, one of these components is shown, but there are actually a plurality of these components. The roadside communication device 3 is disposed in the vicinity of the traffic light 2 installed at an intersection, for example, acquires information on the traffic signal 2 (hereinafter referred to as traffic signal information), and transmits the acquired traffic signal information as an optical signal. The roadside communication device 3 is a device that can be called by a name such as an optical beacon or an advanced optical beacon.

  The in-vehicle communication device 10 a mounted on the vehicle 1 a includes an optical receiving unit 11 that receives an optical signal transmitted by the roadside communication device 3 and a wireless communication unit 12 that performs wireless communication with the wireless communication device 4. Yes. On the other hand, the in-vehicle communication device 10b mounted on the vehicle 1b includes the wireless communication unit 12, but does not include the optical reception unit 11, and cannot receive the optical signal transmitted by the roadside communication device 3. The wireless communication unit 12 performs wireless communication using a mobile phone communication network, for example.

  The in-vehicle communication device 10a that has received the traffic signal information by the optical signal from the roadside communication device 3 predicts the lighting state of the traffic signal 2 when the vehicle 1a reaches the intersection where the traffic signal 2 is installed based on the received traffic signal information. And the process of calculating the recommended speed for passing through this intersection without stopping is performed. The in-vehicle communication device 10a gives these processing results to a device such as a car navigation device and displays it on a display unit included in these devices to give a warning or notification to the driver. Further, the in-vehicle communication device 10 a gives the signal information received by the light receiving unit 11 to the wireless communication unit 12, and transmits the signal information to the wireless communication device 4 by the radio signal by the wireless communication unit 12.

  The wireless communication device 4 is a device corresponding to, for example, a base station configuring a mobile phone communication network. The wireless communication device 4 that has received the traffic signal information by the radio signal from the in-vehicle communication device 10a wirelessly transmits the received signal information by the radio signal. At this time, the wireless communication device 4 transmits the traffic signal information by simultaneous transmission without specifying a communication partner, so-called broadcast. Therefore, the signal information wirelessly transmitted from the wireless communication device 4 is received by the vehicles 1a and 1b equipped with the in-vehicle wireless communication devices 10a and 10b capable of receiving radio signals.

  The vehicle-mounted wireless communication device 10b of the vehicle 1b that has received the signal information from the wireless communication device 4 at the wireless communication unit 12 is based on the received signal information when the vehicle 1a reaches the intersection where the signal device 2 is installed. The process of predicting the lighting state of the traffic light 2 and calculating the recommended speed for passing through the intersection without stopping is performed. This is the same as the process performed by the in-vehicle communication device 10a that has received the traffic signal information from the roadside communication device 3 as described above.

  In addition, the in-vehicle wireless communication device 10a of the vehicle 1a that has received the signal information from the wireless communication device 4 in the wireless communication unit 12 may receive the received information when the received signal information is the same as the signal information transmitted by itself. Just discard it.

  The reach of the optical signal transmitted by the roadside communication device 3 is, for example, about several meters to several tens of meters from the installation position of the roadside communication device 3, and the in-vehicle communication device 10a of the vehicle 1a traveling within this range is optical. A signal can be received. The reach range of the radio signal transmitted by the wireless communication device 4 is, for example, about several tens of meters to several hundred meters from the installation position of the wireless communication device 4, and the in-vehicle communication devices 10a of the vehicles 1a and 1b existing in this range. , 10b. Therefore, in the communication system according to the present embodiment, the traffic signal information related to the traffic signal 2 can be transmitted to the vehicle 1b that does not have the optical receiver 11, and the vehicle that exists farther from the reach of the optical signal of the roadside communication device 3 It can be sent to 1a, 1b.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the roadside communication device 3. The roadside communication device 3 according to the present embodiment includes a control unit 31, a communication unit 32, an optical transmission unit 33, and the like. The communication unit 32 performs communication with the traffic signal control device 2 a that controls the operation of the traffic signal 2. The communication unit 32 provides the information received from the traffic signal control device 2a to the control unit 31, and transmits the information provided from the control unit 31 to the traffic signal control device 2a. The optical transmission unit 33 is configured by using a light emitting element such as a light emitting diode, for example, and transmits the information as an optical signal by causing the light emitting element to emit light according to the information given from the control unit 31.

  The control unit 31 controls the operations of the communication unit 32 and the optical transmission unit 33 to perform processing for transmitting the traffic signal information related to the traffic signal 2 as an optical signal. The control unit 31 periodically communicates with the traffic signal control device 2a by the communication unit 32, and periodically acquires information regarding the traffic signal 2. When the communication unit 32 receives information from the traffic signal control device 2a, the control unit 31 generates traffic signal information for notifying the vehicle 1a of the status of the traffic signal 2 and the like based on the received information. The traffic signal information includes, for example, identification information for identifying the traffic signal 2, information indicating the lighting state of the traffic signal 2 (whether red, blue, or yellow is lit), information regarding timing of transition to the next lighting state, And information such as the date and time of generation of this information. The control unit 31 gives the generated traffic signal information to the optical transmission unit 33 and transmits the traffic signal information as an optical signal.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the in-vehicle communication device 10a. The in-vehicle communication device 10a according to the present embodiment includes an optical receiving unit 11, a wireless communication unit 12, an in-vehicle communication unit 13, a control unit 14, a storage unit 15, and the like. The light receiving unit 11 is configured using a light receiving element such as a photodiode. The optical receiving unit 11 receives the optical signal transmitted from the roadside communication device 3 by the light receiving element, and gives the received optical signal to the control unit 14 as digital traffic signal information. The wireless communication unit 12 performs wireless communication with the wireless communication device 4 using, for example, a mobile phone communication network. The wireless communication unit 12 transmits information to the wireless communication device 4 by converting the information given from the control unit 14 into a radio wave signal and outputting it. The wireless communication unit 12 gives the radio signal received from the wireless communication device 4 to the control unit 14 as digital information.

  The in-vehicle communication unit 13 communicates with other in-vehicle devices such as the navigation device 5 via an in-vehicle network provided in the vehicle 1a. The in-vehicle communication unit 13 performs communication according to a communication protocol such as CAN (Controller Area Network) or LIN (Local Interconnect Network). The in-vehicle communication unit 13 transmits information given to the other in-vehicle devices by outputting the information given from the control unit 14 as an electrical signal to a communication line such as a CAN bus. The in-vehicle communication unit 13 monitors an electric potential of a communication line such as a CAN bus to acquire an electric signal output from another in-vehicle device to the communication line, converts the electric signal into digital information, and controls the control unit 14. Give to. In the present embodiment, the in-vehicle communication device 10a communicates with the navigation device 5 to acquire the position information of the vehicle 1 and notify the driver.

  The control unit 14 is configured using an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit), and performs communication by reading and executing a communication control program stored in the storage unit 15. Various control processes are performed. The storage unit 15 is configured using a nonvolatile memory element such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) or a flash memory, and stores a communication control program executed by the control unit 14 and data necessary for execution. Yes.

  The navigation device 5 includes a control unit 50, an in-vehicle communication unit 51, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiving unit 52, a storage unit 53, an operation unit 54, a display unit 55, and the like. The control unit 50 is configured using an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU or MPU, and performs various processes such as specifying the position of the vehicle 1a, calculating a route to the destination, and guiding the driver. The in-vehicle communication unit 51 communicates with other in-vehicle devices such as the in-vehicle communication device 10a via the in-vehicle network. The GPS receiving unit 52 receives a signal transmitted from a GPS artificial satellite, and gives information related to the received signal to the control unit 50. The control unit 50 can calculate the position of the vehicle 1 a based on information given from the GPS receiving unit 52.

  The storage unit 53 is configured using a storage device such as a flash memory or a hard disk, and stores, for example, map information used for route calculation to the destination, route guidance to the driver, and the like. The operation unit 54 is configured using a plurality of buttons, a touch panel, or the like, and receives an operation by a driver or the like and notifies the control unit 50 of the operation. The display unit 55 is configured using a liquid crystal panel or the like, and displays an image such as a map and a message in accordance with an instruction from the control unit 50.

  In the present embodiment, the in-vehicle communication device 10a receives the optical signal transmitted by the roadside communication device 3 at the optical receiving unit 11 when the vehicle 1a is within the reach of the optical signal transmitted by the roadside communication device 3. . When the optical signal is received by the optical receiver 11, the received optical signal is converted into digital traffic signal information and provided to the controller 14. The control unit 14 transmits the traffic signal information to the navigation device 5 by providing the received traffic signal information to the in-vehicle communication unit 13. The navigation device 5 that has received the traffic signal information from the in-vehicle communication device 10a by the in-vehicle communication unit 51 compares the position of the traffic signal 2 related to the traffic signal information with the position of the vehicle 1a based on the map information, and the traffic signal 2 from the current position. The control unit 50 calculates the distance, time, and the like when traveling to the intersection where is installed. Based on the lighting state and switching timing included in the traffic signal information, the control unit 50 predicts the lighting state of the traffic signal 2 when the vehicle 1a reaches the intersection, and the vehicle 1a passes through the intersection without stopping. Therefore, a suitable traveling speed is calculated. The control unit 50 displays these calculated and predicted results on the display unit 55 and notifies the driver.

  Moreover, the control part 14 of the vehicle-mounted communication apparatus 10a which concerns on this Embodiment gives the signal information received with the optical signal from the roadside communication apparatus 3 to the radio | wireless communication part 12, and transmits this signal information to the radio | wireless communication apparatus 4 wirelessly. To do. Thereby, the vehicle-mounted communication apparatus 10a can transfer the traffic signal information from the roadside communication device 3 to the other vehicle 1b.

  The in-vehicle communication device 10b mounted on the vehicle 1b corresponds to a configuration in which the light receiving unit 11 is removed from the in-vehicle communication device 10a illustrated in FIG. The other configuration of the in-vehicle communication device 10b is substantially the same as the configuration of the in-vehicle communication device 10a, and thus the illustration and detailed description of the configuration of the in-vehicle communication device 10b are omitted. The in-vehicle communication device 10b does not perform the process of receiving the optical signal from the roadside communication device 3 and transmitting the traffic signal information to the wireless communication device 4.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the wireless communication device 4. The wireless communication device 4 according to the present embodiment includes a control unit 40, a wireless communication unit 41, a communication unit 42, a storage unit 43, and the like. The control unit 40 is configured using an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU or MPU, and performs various processes related to communication by executing a communication control program stored in the storage unit 43. The wireless communication unit 41 wirelessly communicates with the in-vehicle communication devices 10a and 10b mounted on the vehicles 1a and 1b and portable communication devices such as mobile phones and smartphones by transmitting and receiving radio signals. I do. The communication unit 42 communicates with the server device 6 and the other wireless communication device 4 via the wired or wireless network 9. The storage unit 43 is configured by using a non-volatile memory element such as an EEPROM or a flash memory, and stores a communication control program executed by the control unit 40 and data necessary for the execution.

  When the wireless communication device 4 receives information related to a call, electronic mail, or Internet access from the in-vehicle communication devices 10a and 10b or the portable communication device, the wireless communication device 4 is connected to the server device 6 or the like via the network 9 by the communication unit 42. By transmitting the received information to the wireless communication device 4, processing as a base station constituting the mobile phone communication network is performed. Furthermore, when the wireless communication device 4 according to the present embodiment receives the traffic signal information from the in-vehicle communication device 10a, the wireless communication device 4 broadcasts the received traffic signal information and broadcasts the received in-vehicle signal within the reach of the radio signal. The traffic signal information is transferred to the communication devices 10a and 10b or the portable communication device.

  The in-vehicle communication device 10b that has received the traffic signal information from the wireless communication device 4 by the radio signal transmits the received traffic signal information to the navigation device 5 via the in-vehicle network of the vehicle 1b. The process performed by the navigation device 5 in this case is the same as the above-described process performed by the navigation device 5 when the in-vehicle communication device 10a transmits the traffic signal information received from the roadside communication device 3 to the navigation device 5. That is, the navigation device 5 performs the same processing regardless of whether the signal information is transmitted from the roadside communication device 3 or the wireless communication device 4.

  The control unit 14 of the in-vehicle communication device 10a that has received the signal information from the wireless communication device 4 by radio wave signal has the same signal information received from the roadside communication device 3 and transmitted to the wireless communication device 4. It is determined whether it is a thing. At this time, the control unit 14 determines whether or not both pieces of traffic signal information are the same based on the identification information of the traffic signal 2 included in the traffic signal information, the generation date and time of this information, and the like. In order to make this determination, the in-vehicle communication device 10a stores the traffic signal information received from the roadside communication device 3 over a certain period (for example, about several seconds to several minutes). When both the traffic signal information is the same, the control unit 14 discards the received traffic signal information. When both traffic signal information differs, the control part 14 transmits the received information to the navigation apparatus 5 in the in-vehicle communication part 13, and makes the navigation apparatus 5 perform processing using the traffic signal information.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a procedure of traffic signal information transmission processing performed by the roadside communication device 3. The control unit 31 of the roadside communication device 3 according to the present embodiment determines whether or not the communication unit 32 has received information from the traffic signal control device 2a that controls the traffic signal 2 (step S1). When the information from the traffic signal control device 2a is not received (S1: NO), the control unit 31 stands by until the information is received. When the information is received (S1: YES), the control unit 31 generates traffic signal information to be transmitted to the vehicles 1a and 1b based on the received information (step S2). Next, the control unit 31 transmits the traffic signal information as an optical signal by giving the generated traffic signal information to the optical transmission unit 33 (step S3), and ends the process.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a procedure of processing performed by the in-vehicle communication device 10b. The control part 14 of the vehicle-mounted communication apparatus 10a which concerns on this Embodiment determines whether the optical receiver 11 received the traffic signal information from the roadside communication apparatus 3 with an optical signal (step S11). When the signal information by the optical signal is received (S11: YES), the control unit 14 wirelessly transmits the signal information related to the received optical signal to the wireless communication device 4 by the wireless communication unit 12 (step S12). Moreover, the control part 14 transmits the traffic signal information which concerns on the received optical signal to the navigation apparatus 5 via the in-vehicle network in the in-vehicle communication part 13 (step S15), and complete | finishes a process.

  If the optical signal from the roadside communication device 3 has not been received (S11: NO), the control unit 14 determines whether the wireless communication unit 12 has received the signal information from the wireless communication device 4 as a radio signal. Determination is made (step S13). When the radio signal is not received (S13: NO), the control unit 14 returns the process to step S11. When the traffic signal information by the radio signal is received (S13: YES), it is determined whether or not the traffic signal information related to the received radio signal is the previously transmitted signal information (step S14). When the received traffic signal information is already transmitted (S14: YES), the control unit 14 returns the process to step S11. If the received traffic signal information is not already transmitted (S14: NO), the control unit 14 transmits the traffic signal information related to the received radio signal to the navigation device 5 via the in-vehicle network at the in-vehicle communication unit 13. (Step S15), the process ends.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of signal information transfer processing performed by the wireless communication device 4. The control unit 40 of the wireless communication device 4 according to the present embodiment determines whether the wireless communication unit 41 has received the traffic signal information from the in-vehicle communication device 10a (step S21). When the traffic signal information is not received (S21: NO), the control unit 40 stands by until the traffic signal information is received. When the traffic signal information is received (S21: YES), the control unit 40 transmits the received traffic signal information all at once in the wireless communication unit 41 (step S22), and the process is terminated.

  In the communication system according to the first embodiment having the above configuration, the in-vehicle communication device 10a mounted on the vehicle 1a receives the traffic signal information transmitted by the roadside communication device 3 installed on the road as an optical signal. The in-vehicle communication device 1a transmits the received traffic signal information to the wireless communication device 4 installed outside the vehicle using a radio wave signal. The wireless communication device 4 that has received the traffic signal information wirelessly transmits the received traffic signal information. As a result, the traffic signal information can be received by the vehicles 1a and 1b that are within the reach of the radio signal wirelessly transmitted by the radio communication device 4 and are equipped with the in-vehicle communication devices 10a and 10b that receive the radio signal. it can. That is, the traffic signal information can be transferred via the wireless communication device 4 from the vehicle 1 a that can receive the optical signal to the vehicle 1 b that cannot receive the optical signal. Even in the vehicle 1b that cannot receive an optical signal, it is possible to provide a service using the traffic signal information to a driver or the like.

  The wireless communication device 4 broadcasts the signal information received from the in-vehicle communication device 10a. Thereby, one or several vehicle 1a, 1b which exists in the reach | attainment range of the radio signal of the radio | wireless communication apparatus 4 can acquire signal apparatus information simultaneously.

  In the present embodiment, the in-vehicle communication device 10a mounted on the vehicle 1a is a single device, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, you may be comprised by several apparatuses, such as an optical receiver, a radio | wireless communication apparatus, and a control apparatus which controls these. The vehicles 1a and 1b and the wireless communication device 4 are configured to perform wireless communication using a mobile phone communication network, but are not limited thereto, and perform other wireless communication such as a wireless LAN (Local Area Network). It may be a configuration. The wireless communication device 4 not only wirelessly transmits the signal information received by itself, but also transmits the signal information to another wireless communication device 4 via the network 9, and the other wireless communication device 4 also transmits the signal information. It is good also as a structure which transmits information.

<Embodiment 2>
FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a communication system according to the second embodiment. The communication system according to the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the configuration of an in-vehicle communication device 210a mounted on a vehicle 1a capable of receiving an optical signal. The in-vehicle communication device 210a according to Embodiment 2 does not include the wireless communication unit 12 that performs wireless communication with the wireless communication device 4. The in-vehicle communication device 210a according to the second embodiment includes a connection unit 216 that connects a portable communication device such as the smartphone 208 via a communication cable or the like. The connection unit 216 exchanges information with the connected smartphone 208. When the smartphone 208 is connected to the connection unit 216, the in-vehicle communication device 210a can perform wireless communication with the wireless communication device 4 using the communication function of the smartphone 208 to transmit / receive traffic signal information. .

  The smartphone 208 includes a control unit 280, a connection unit 281 and a wireless communication unit 282. The control unit 280 is configured using an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU or MPU, and can perform various processes by executing various programs stored in a storage unit (not shown). In the second embodiment, the control unit 280 performs a process of relaying communication between the in-vehicle communication device 10a and the wireless communication device 4. The connection unit 281 is connected to the in-vehicle communication device 10a via a communication cable or the like, and exchanges information with the in-vehicle communication device 10a. The connection unit 281 gives the information given from the control unit 280 to the in-vehicle communication device 10a and also gives the information given from the in-vehicle communication device 10a to the control unit 280. The wireless communication unit 282 performs wireless communication with the wireless communication device 4 using, for example, a mobile phone communication network. The wireless communication unit 282 transmits information to the wireless communication device 4 by converting the information given from the control unit 280 into a radio wave signal and outputting it. Also, the wireless communication unit 282 gives the radio signal received from the wireless communication device 4 to the control unit 280 as digital information.

  The in-vehicle communication device 210 a that has received the traffic signal information by the optical signal from the roadside communication device 3 gives the received traffic signal information to the smartphone 208 connected to the connection unit 216 to instruct wireless transmission to the wireless communication device 4. When the signal information is given from the in-vehicle communication device 210 a to the connection unit 281, the control unit 280 of the smartphone 208 transmits the signal information to the wireless communication device 4 through the wireless communication unit 282. In addition, when the signal information transmitted from the wireless communication device 4 is received by the wireless communication unit 282, the control unit 280 of the smartphone 208 provides the signal information from the connection unit 281 to the in-vehicle communication device 210a.

  In the communication system according to the second embodiment having the above-described configuration, the smartphone 208 relays communication between the wireless communication device 4 and the in-vehicle communication device 210a that does not have a wireless communication function. Even when the wireless communication function is not provided, the in-vehicle communication device 210a can communicate with the wireless communication device 4 using the smartphone 208 possessed by the driver or the like.

  In the case of the configuration of the communication system according to the second embodiment, the smartphone 208 may perform the process performed by the navigation device 5. Further, for the vehicle 1b that does not receive the optical signal, the vehicle-mounted communication device 10b is not provided, and the smartphone 208 is connected to the navigation device 5, or processing such as reception of signal information and notification using the smartphone 208 alone is performed. It is good also as a structure to perform. Moreover, although the portable communication apparatus which relays communication of the vehicle-mounted communication apparatus 210a and the wireless communication apparatus 4 was set as the smart phone 208, it is not restricted to this, You may use the other various portable communication apparatus which has a wireless communication function. .

  In addition, since the other structure of the communication system which concerns on Embodiment 2 is the same as that of the communication system which concerns on Embodiment 1, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same location and detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

<Embodiment 3>
In the communication system according to the third embodiment, the wireless communication device 4 that has received the signal information from the in-vehicle communication device 10a not only wirelessly transmits the signal information, but also acquires information related to the signal information from the server device 6. In this configuration, the signal information is wirelessly transmitted with the related information attached. The server device 6 according to the third embodiment has a database that accumulates traffic information such as traffic congestion information and accident information, for example, and traffic information about the intersection where the traffic signal 2 related to the traffic signal information is installed and its surroundings. Is transmitted to the wireless communication apparatus 4 as related information related to the traffic signal information. The wireless communication device 4 transmits the related information acquired from the server device 6 together with the traffic signal information.

  FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the server device 6 according to the third embodiment. The server device 6 according to Embodiment 3 includes a control unit 60, a storage unit 61, a communication unit 62, and the like. The control unit 60 is configured using an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU or MPU, and reads, executes, and manages traffic information stored in the storage unit 61 to read, execute, and manage traffic information. And processing such as provision. In addition, the process which produces | generates traffic information may be performed by the server apparatus 6, and apparatuses other than the server apparatus 6 may perform it.

  The storage unit 61 of the server device 6 is configured using a large-capacity storage device such as a hard disk. The storage unit 61 stores a server program executed by the control unit 60 and various information necessary for the execution. In particular, in the present embodiment, the storage unit 61 is provided with a traffic information DB (database) that accumulates traffic information such as road congestion information and accident information. The communication unit 62 communicates with the wireless communication device 4 and other communication devices via the wired or wireless network 9.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of signal information transfer processing performed by the wireless communication device 4 according to the third embodiment. The control unit 40 of the wireless communication device 4 according to Embodiment 3 determines whether the wireless communication unit 41 has received the traffic signal information from the in-vehicle communication device 10a (step S31). When the traffic signal information is not received (S31: NO), the control unit 40 stands by until the traffic signal information is received. When the traffic signal information is received (S31: YES), the control unit 40 sends the received traffic signal information to the server device 6 to inquire related information related to the traffic signal information (step S32).

  The control unit 40 determines whether or not the related information transmitted from the server device 6 has been received in response to this inquiry (step S33). When the relevant information has not been received (S33: NO), the control unit 40 stands by until the relevant information is received. When the related information is received (S33: YES), the control unit 40 adds the related information received in step S33 to the traffic signal information received in step S31, and transmits the traffic signal information and the related information to the wireless communication unit 41. (S34), and the process ends.

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of processing performed by the server device 6 according to the third embodiment. The control unit 60 of the server device 6 according to Embodiment 3 determines whether or not the communication unit 62 has received an inquiry about related information from the wireless communication device 4 (step S41). When the inquiry is not received (S41: NO), the control unit 60 stands by until the inquiry is received. When the inquiry is received (S41: YES), the control unit 60 refers to the traffic information DB stored in the storage unit 61, and the traffic signal 2 related to the traffic signal information given from the wireless communication device 4 is installed together with the inquiry. The traffic information of the intersection and its surroundings is read (step S42). The control unit 60 transmits the read traffic information as related information to the inquiry source wireless communication device 4 (step S43), and ends the process.

  In the communication system according to the third embodiment having the above-described configuration, the wireless communication device 4 that has received the signal information from the in-vehicle communication device 10a transmits the signal information to the server device 6 to inquire related information. The server device 6 acquires traffic information related to the traffic signal information received together with the inquiry from the database, and transmits the acquired traffic information to the wireless communication device 4 as related information. The wireless communication device 4 that has received the relevant information from the server device 6 wirelessly transmits the relevant information to the vehicles 1a and 1b together with the traffic signal information. Thereby, in the vehicles 1a and 1b, related information can be acquired together with the traffic signal information. For example, it is possible to provide more advanced services such as displaying traffic jam information and accident information on the navigation device 5.

  In the present embodiment, the related information transmitted by the server device 6 is traffic information such as traffic congestion information and accident information around the intersection where the traffic light is installed and its surroundings, but this is an example, and the related information is Any information may be used. Further, the wireless communication device 4 is configured to attach the related information to the traffic signal information and transmit it to the vehicles 1a and 1b. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the traffic signal information is transmitted first, and then from the server device 6 The received related information may be transmitted. In addition, the wireless communication device 4 is configured to transmit (broadcast) the related information together with the traffic signal information. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and the related information may be configured to transmit information by designating a communication partner.

  In addition, since the other structure of the communication system which concerns on Embodiment 3 is the same as that of the communication system which concerns on Embodiment 1, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same location and detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1a, 1b Vehicle 2 Traffic signal 2a Signal control device 3 Roadside communication device 4 Wireless communication device 5 Navigation device 6 Server device 9 Network 10a, 10b In-vehicle communication device 11 Optical receiver (optical signal receiver)
12 wireless communication unit 13 in-car communication unit 14 control unit (communication control unit)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 15 Memory | storage part 31 Control part 32 Communication part 33 Optical transmission part 40 Control part (communication control part)
41 wireless communication unit 42 communication unit 43 storage unit 50 control unit 51 in-vehicle communication unit 52 GPS reception unit 53 storage unit 54 operation unit 55 display unit 60 control unit (related information transmission processing unit)
61 Storage Unit 62 Communication Unit 208 Smartphone (Portable Communication Device)
210a On-vehicle communication device 216 connection part

Claims (5)

An optical signal receiving unit that receives the optical signal from a roadside communication device that transmits information related to the traffic light as an optical signal, a wireless communication unit that performs wireless communication with a device installed outside the vehicle by a radio wave signal, and An in-vehicle communication device having a communication control unit that performs control to wirelessly transmit the information by the wireless communication unit when the information related to the traffic light is received by the optical signal reception unit;
A wireless communication unit that is installed outside the vehicle and performs wireless communication using a radio signal, and when the wireless communication unit receives information on the signal from the in-vehicle communication device, at least a vehicle having a radio signal reception function, A wireless communication apparatus comprising: a communication control unit that performs control to wirelessly transmit the information by the wireless communication unit. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the communication control unit of the wireless communication device broadcasts the information to a vehicle that exists within a reach of a radio signal transmitted by the wireless communication unit. The wireless communication device further includes a communication unit that communicates with the server device,
The communication control unit of the wireless communication device transmits the information to the server device by the communication unit when the wireless communication unit receives information on the traffic signal from the in-vehicle communication device,
The server device
A communication unit for communicating with the wireless communication device;
A related information transmission processing unit that performs processing for transmitting related information related to the information to the wireless communication device in the communication unit when the communication unit receives information related to the traffic light from the wireless communication device; Have
3. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication control unit of the wireless communication apparatus wirelessly transmits the related information when the communication unit receives the related information from the server apparatus. Communication system. An optical signal receiving unit that receives an optical signal from a roadside communication device that transmits information related to a traffic light as an optical signal, a communication unit that communicates with a portable communication device, and the optical signal receiving unit An in-vehicle communication device having a communication control unit for performing control to transmit the information to the portable communication device by the communication unit when information related to a traffic light is received;
A communication unit that communicates with the in-vehicle communication device, a wireless communication unit that performs wireless communication using radio wave signals, and when the communication unit receives information on the traffic signal, the information is transmitted to the wireless communication unit. A portable communication device having a communication control unit for performing wireless transmission control by
A wireless communication unit that is installed outside the vehicle and performs wireless communication using radio signals, and when the wireless communication unit receives information on the signal from the portable communication device, the vehicle has at least a radio signal reception function. And a wireless communication apparatus having a communication control unit that performs control to wirelessly transmit the information by the wireless communication unit. Mounted on the vehicle,
An optical signal receiving unit that receives the optical signal from a roadside communication device that transmits information related to the traffic light as an optical signal;
A wireless communication unit for performing wireless communication with a device installed outside the vehicle by a radio wave signal;
A first communication control unit that performs control to wirelessly transmit the information to the wireless communication device installed outside the vehicle by the wireless communication unit when the optical signal receiving unit receives information related to the traffic light;
An in-vehicle communication device comprising: a second communication control unit that performs control to receive information on the traffic signal transmitted from the wireless communication device by the wireless communication unit.

Images