JP3861836B2 - Vehicle guidance system using vehicle guidance tags - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a vehicle guidance system using a vehicle guidance tag capable of guiding a vehicle in a predetermined direction on a road or a parking lot, for example.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, fully automated driving systems (AHS) have been studied in the field of intelligent transport systems (ITS). In this AHS, road-to-vehicle communication in which communication is performed between a road information infrastructure and a communication device mounted on a vehicle and vehicle-to-vehicle communication in which communication is performed between vehicles are used.
[0003]
In the AHS, as shown in FIG. 18, in order to control the traveling of the vehicle, a traveling target line is set, and magnetic bodies called magnetic nails are installed along the road at regular intervals (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 7). No. 334789). This magnetic nail does not transmit information and simply forms a magnetic field on the road.
[0004]
When the magnetic nail is used, a plurality of magnetic sensors for detecting a magnetic field generated by the magnetic nail are provided before and after the vehicle, and the traveling of the vehicle is automatically controlled so that the vehicle does not leave the magnetic nail. .
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, since the magnetic nail needs a certain size in order to generate a sufficient magnetic field for guiding the vehicle, the size of the magnetic nail cannot be reduced so much.
[0006]
As a result, in order to lay a magnetic nail having a large size, it is necessary to dig a road deeply, resulting in poor work efficiency and high laying cost. As a countermeasure, in order to reduce the magnetic nail, it is necessary to use a magnetic material having a high coercive force. However, since a material having a high coercive force is generally expensive, there is another problem that the material cost becomes high. Arise.
[0007]
In addition, providing a plurality of magnetic sensors in a vehicle just to detect a magnetic field leads to an increase in the cost of the vehicle, and is not always preferable. On the other hand, apart from the technique using magnetic nails described above, in road-to-vehicle communication, there is a technique in which a data transmitter called a road beacon is installed to transmit road information to the vehicle.
[0008]
This road beacon has a communication area of about several hundreds of meters and can send road information (wide area information) over a relatively wide range. Currently, a system for transmitting to a vehicle has not been developed.
[0009]
The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and provides a vehicle guidance system using a vehicle guidance tag that can suitably guide a vehicle with a simple configuration.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention is a vehicle guidance system using a vehicle guidance tag arranged on the ground in order to guide a vehicle by communication,
With the vehicle guide tags arranged along the travel target line,
On the vehicle side,
A communication means capable of transmitting and receiving information to and from the vehicle guidance tag;
Command means for sending a command for causing the vehicle to transmit the information to the vehicle guidance tag by the communication means;
In response to the command, travel control means for performing travel control of the vehicle based on the information transmitted from the vehicle guidance tag to the vehicle;
With
Furthermore, the communication means has first to third antennas at the center and both sides thereof, and is set so that communication areas formed by adjacent antennas overlap each other. The transmission signals of the first to third antennas use one frequency, The first and third antennas on both sides output transmission signals at the same timing, the second antenna at the center outputs transmission signals at timings at which the first and third antennas do not output transmission signals,
The traveling control means maintains the current traveling control when receiving the transmission signal from the vehicle guidance tag only by the second antenna, and for the vehicle guidance only by the first antenna or only the third antenna. When the transmission signal from the tag is received, the vehicle is controlled to largely turn left or right respectively,
When the transmission signal from the vehicle guidance tag is received only by the first and second antennas or only by the second and third antennas, only the first antenna or only the third antenna is used from the vehicle guidance tag. The gist of the present invention is a vehicle guidance system using a vehicle guidance tag, characterized in that control is performed to turn the vehicle to the left or the right small when a transmission signal is received.
[0011]
In the present invention, information can be transmitted to and received from the vehicle guidance tag by the vehicle-side communication means. Then, when the command means transmits a command for outputting information to the vehicle guidance tag, the information is transmitted from the vehicle guidance tag according to the command. Vehicle travel control can be performed.
[0012]
Further, the present invention has the first and third antennas at the center and both sides thereof, the first and second antennas at both sides output transmission signals at the same timing, and the second antenna at the center has the first and third antennas. Since the antenna outputs the transmission signal at a timing when it does not output the transmission signal. 1 Communication to one vehicle guidance tag can be performed using a plurality of antennas without radio wave interference at one frequency.
[0013]
Furthermore, when setting the communication areas formed by adjacent antennas to overlap each other and receiving a transmission signal from the vehicle guidance tag only at the second antenna at the center, the current traveling control is maintained, First Antenna only Or the third antenna only When receiving a transmission signal from the vehicle guidance tag, Because the vehicle is greatly displaced Each vehicle big Control left or right When the transmission signal from the vehicle guidance tag is received with only the first and second antennas or only with the second and third antennas, the vehicle is slightly shifted and therefore the vehicle is turned slightly to the left or right, respectively. Control Thus, the vehicle can be accurately guided in a predetermined direction.
[0014]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an example (example) of an embodiment of a vehicle guidance system using the vehicle guidance tag of the present invention will be described.
[0015]
[Example 1]
As an embodiment of the present invention, a vehicle guidance tag (hereinafter also simply referred to as a tag), a method of using the tag, and a vehicle guidance system using the tag will be described.
[0016]
a) First, the vehicle guidance system of the present embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, in the vehicle guidance system of the present embodiment, a travel target line is set on the road as a configuration on the road side, and a tag is provided at predetermined intervals (for example, 10 m) along the travel target line. 1 is embedded. As will be described in detail later, the tag 1 is a stationary machine that transmits guidance information to the vehicle in order to guide the vehicle along the travel target line.
[0017]
On the other hand, on the vehicle side, a plurality of antennas are provided in front of and behind the vehicle in order to communicate with the tag 1 and to perform control for guiding the vehicle. That is, a front in-vehicle antenna 3 including three antennas is provided in front of the vehicle, and a rear in-vehicle antenna 5 including similar three antennas is provided in the rear of the vehicle.
[0018]
The front and rear vehicle-mounted antennas 3 and 5 are connected to a road-to-vehicle communication device (vehicle-mounted communication device) 8 that performs communication on the vehicle side, and the vehicle-mounted communication device 8 controls the vehicle to travel along the travel target line. Therefore, it is connected to a travel control device 7 provided with a micro computer.
[0019]
b) Next, the tag 1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3A, the tag 1 includes a circuit board (printed board) 11 sandwiched between two tempered glass plates 15a and 15b (collectively referred to as 15) via a spacer 13, and a sealant 17 The basic structure 20 is housed in a mounting guard 19 that is a protective member.
[0020]
The circuit board 11 is made of a material excellent in high frequency characteristics such as a glass epoxy material and a BT resin material. Therefore, there is little loss and a gain can be earned. The sealing material 17 and the glass material of the tempered glass plate 15 are first selected in consideration of water resistance, strength, etc., and the high frequency circuit design is made in consideration of the dielectric constant and loss of the sealing material 17 and the glass material. (Normally, when a sealant 17 or a glass material is used, the dielectric constant is shifted to a larger value and the communication frequency is shifted to a lower value).
[0021]
The circuit board 11 is provided with an upper layer 23 provided with a patch antenna 21 that is a planar antenna, an intermediate ground layer 25, and a digital circuit 27 from above (road surface side) in FIG. The lower layer 29 is formed, and through-holes 30 are formed through the layers 23, 25 and 27.
[0022]
As shown in FIG. 4, the patch antenna 21 on the surface (upper side surface) of the upper layer 23 is formed by etching the circuit board 11 into a patch antenna shape. The surface of the patch antenna 21 is to prevent rust. Plated with nickel. The intermediate ground layer 25 has a structure in which a copper thin film is formed on the entire lower surface of the upper layer 23 (or the upper surface of the lower layer 29) and is sandwiched between the lower layer 29 (or the upper layer 23).
[0023]
The digital circuit 27 on the surface (lower side) of the lower layer 29 includes a flat battery 31 having a thickness of several millimeters or less, a control element 33 as a control unit, a communication element 35 as a communication unit, and other peripheral circuits 37. It is composed of Further, as shown in FIG. 3B, the mounting guard 19 has a box shape with a large opening at the top, and communicates with the vehicle on the upper side when the basic structure 20 is accommodated. The space 41 is provided. In addition, water drain holes 43 are provided in four directions of the space 41 so that water does not collect.
[0024]
An opening 45 for inserting the basic structure 20 is provided on the side of the mounting guard 19. By inserting the basic structure 20 into the mounting guard 19 from the opening 45, the tag 11 Is completed. The mounting guard 19 is made of a sturdy metal material (for example, stainless steel) so that the mounting guard 19 is not damaged even if the vehicle travels on the mounting guard 19. Further, by using a metal material, as shown in FIG. 5, the communication area can be prevented from being excessively widened, thereby preventing interference with the adjacent tag 11.
[0025]
b) Next, the manufacturing method of the tag 1 of a present Example is demonstrated. As shown in FIG. 6 (a), a square frame spacer 13 made of tempered glass material is bonded around one tempered glass plate 15a (which becomes upper when installed on the road).
[0026]
Next, as shown in FIG. 6B, the circuit board 11 on which each component such as the patch antenna 21 is mounted is placed on the tempered glass plate 15a with the patch antenna 21 side down. Next, as shown in FIG. 6C, the other tempered glass plate 15 b is placed on the circuit board 11 and bonded to the spacer 13. At this time, the surface (antenna surface) of the patch antenna 21 is brought into close contact with the tempered glass 15a over the entire surface. This is because high frequency characteristics are more stable when the periphery of the antenna surface is as close as possible to the glass.
[0027]
Next, as shown in FIG. 6D, a sealing agent 17 made of a silicone material is injected from a resin injection port (not shown), and then a deaeration process for removing bubbles from the sealing agent 17 is performed. Next, as shown in FIG. 6E, the sealing agent 17 is cured to form a rectangular parallelepiped basic structure 20. In this case, the curing method of the sealant 17 may be either thermal curing or photocuring, but since glass is easily photocured, photocuring is preferable.
[0028]
Next, as shown in FIG. 6 (f), the basic structure 20 is inserted into the mounting guard 19 from the side opening 45 with the antenna surface facing up, thereby completing the tag 11.
[0029]
c) Next, a method of using the tag 11 of this embodiment, that is, a method of guiding a vehicle using the tag 11 in the vehicle guidance system will be described.
[0030]
(1) First, the basic configuration and operation of the vehicle guidance system will be described. The in-vehicle communication device 8 communicates with the tag 1 installed on the road using the in-vehicle antennas 3 and 5. Since the front and rear vehicle-mounted antennas 3 and 5 have the same function, the following description will be mainly given of the front vehicle-mounted antenna 3.
[0031]
For example, in the in-vehicle antenna 3 in the front, as shown in FIG. 7, the communication areas (transmission / reception areas) formed by the antennas A1, A2, and A3 are such that the areas formed by adjacent antennas overlap each other. Set to. From the antennas A1 to A3, an inquiry signal (transmission signal) is periodically output at the timing shown in FIG. This inquiry signal is composed of a transmission command and a carrier wave. Specifically, antennas A1 and A3 output transmission signals at the same timing, and adjacent antennas A2 alternately output transmission signals at timings when antennas A1 and A3 do not output signals.
[0032]
By switching at such timing, it is possible to perform communication with respect to one tag 1 using a plurality of antennas without radio wave interference at one frequency. On the other hand, the tag 1 reflects and modulates the carrier wave transmitted from the vehicle and returns a response signal to the vehicle.
[0033]
The signal reflected and modulated by the tag 1 is received by the vehicle-mounted antennas 3 and 5. Since the vehicle has three front and rear antennas A1 to A3, in the case shown in FIG. 7, for example, the reception signal directly above the tag 1 (for example, the central antenna A2) is the strongest response signal. Receive.
[0034]
For example, the traveling control device 7 monitors the reception intensity of the in-vehicle antenna 3 via the in-vehicle communication device 8 and detects the traveling position of the vehicle and the traveling direction (angle with respect to the road). For example, in straight traveling, the travel control device 7 drives various actuators (for example, a steering drive motor and a throttle valve that drive the steering) so as to receive the signal of the tag 1 in the region E1 of the antenna A2 at the center of the vehicle. The control signal is output to a throttle drive motor that performs vehicle control (for example, steering angle control, throttle opening control) to achieve straight traveling.
[0035]
(2) Next, the control during the straight running will be described based on the flowchart of FIG. In the following description, the presence / absence of reception on the vehicle side is described, but it may be replaced with the magnitude of reception intensity. In step 100 of FIG. 9, it is determined whether or not the antenna A1 receives the transmission signal from the tag 1. If the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step 110. If the determination is negative, the process proceeds to step 180.
[0036]
In step 110, it is determined whether or not the antenna A2 is receiving. If a negative determination is made here, the process proceeds to step 120. If an affirmative determination is made, the process proceeds to step 150. In step 120, it is determined whether or not the antenna A3 is receiving, and if an affirmative determination is made here, it is received by the antennas A1 and A3 on both sides, but not received by the central antenna A2, If this is the case, the present process is temporarily terminated. In the case of an abnormality, processing corresponding to the abnormality, such as an abnormality notification, is performed.
[0037]
On the other hand, if a negative determination is made here, since only the antenna A1 is received in step 130, it is determined that the tag 1 is in the area E4 (hereinafter, the area is shown in FIG. 7B). Set the flag. In the following step 140, considering the case of FIG. 7 (b), when the tag 1 is in the region E4, the vehicle is largely shifted to the right. Therefore, the steering control is performed so that the vehicle is returned to the left. This processing is once finished.
[0038]
In step 150, the determination is affirmative in step 110 and the process proceeds to step 150, in which it is determined whether or not the antenna A3 is receiving. Here, if an affirmative determination is made, all the antennas A1 to A3 have received, so it is determined that there is an abnormality, and this processing is once terminated.
[0039]
On the other hand, if a negative determination is made here, since only the antenna A1 and the antenna A2 are received in step 160, it is determined that the tag 1 is in the region E2. In the following step 160, in this case, since the vehicle is slightly shifted to the right, the steering control is performed so as to return the vehicle to the left, and this processing is once ended.
[0040]
Further, in step 180, which is determined to be negative in step 100 and proceeds, it is determined whether or not the antenna A2 is receiving. If an affirmative determination is made here, the process proceeds to step 190, while if a negative determination is made, the process proceeds to step 240. In step 190, it is determined whether or not the signal is received by the antenna A3. If an affirmative determination is made here, the process proceeds to step 220. If a negative determination is made, the process proceeds to step 200.
[0041]
In step 200, since only antenna A2 is received, it is determined that tag 1 is in region E1. In the following step 210, in this case, since the vehicle is traveling in the center of the lane, the current traveling control state is maintained, and this processing is temporarily terminated.
[0042]
On the other hand, in step 220, since only antenna A2 and antenna A3 are received, it is determined that tag 1 is in region E3. In subsequent 230, since the vehicle is slightly shifted to the left in this case, the steering control is performed so as to return the vehicle to the right, and the present process is temporarily terminated.
[0043]
In step 240, which is determined as negative in step 180 and proceeds, it is determined whether or not the antenna A3 is receiving. Here, if a negative determination is made, since all the antennas A1 to A3 have not been received, it is determined that there is an abnormality, and this processing is once ended.
[0044]
On the other hand, if an affirmative determination is made here, the process proceeds to step 250, where only the antenna A3 is receiving, and it is determined that the tag 1 is in the region E5. In subsequent step 260, in this case, since the vehicle is greatly deviated to the left, the steering control is performed so as to return the vehicle to the right, and this processing is once ended.
[0045]
When the vehicle follows the lane as described above, feedback control for adjusting the steering angle is performed with the goal of traveling in the center of the lane (that is, along the travel target line). In this way, in the present embodiment, for example, on the road or parking lot, the tag 1 is arranged along the travel target line. Therefore, the vehicle can control the travel by transmitting and receiving signals to and from the tag 1. You can get the information you need. Therefore, it is possible to accurately guide the vehicle in a predetermined direction based on this information.
[0046]
In particular, in the case of the present embodiment, the circuit board 11 is sandwiched between the tempered glass plates 15a and 15b and transmitted and received by the patch antenna 21, so that detailed information is transmitted to the vehicle as compared with the conventional magnetic nail. can do. Further, since the patch antenna 21 is used as the antenna and the battery 31 is built in, the size can be reduced as compared with the magnetic nail. Therefore, it is not necessary to dig a road deeply, the work efficiency is good, and the laying cost can be reduced.
[0047]
Furthermore, compared to conventional road beacons, information can be reliably transmitted in a narrow range, which is suitable for guiding the vehicle in a predetermined direction with high accuracy.
[0048]
[Example 2]
Next, as Example 2, a lane change management system using tags will be described. In addition, the same part as the said Example 1 is abbreviate | omitted or simplified.
[0049]
This lane change management system is a system that guides a lane change of a vehicle within the communication area of the lane change management antenna when the vehicle changes lanes.
[0050]
a) First, the basic configuration of this embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 10, in the lane change management system of the present embodiment, a normal vehicle guidance tag (hereinafter referred to as a straight traveling tag) 51 is provided on a travel target line along the lanes of three roads, In addition to the straight traveling tag 51, a lane changing tag 53 is arranged along the lane changing target line.
[0051]
Here, from the top of FIG. 11 to 19, 1 </ b> A, 1 </ b> B, and 1 </ b> C are disposed in the second lane. No. 21 to 29, 2A, 2B, and 2C straight traveling tags 51 are arranged. 31-39, 3A, 3B, 3C straight traveling tags 51 are arranged. In addition, there are two routes for changing lanes from the first lane to the second lane. 121-126 lane change tag 53, 131 to 136 lane change tags 53 are respectively arranged. Two lane changing routes are also set from the second lane to the third lane, and the lane changing tag 53 is similarly arranged.
[0052]
Further, a lane change management antenna 55 is arranged on the road side at a place where the lane change is performed, and a road side communication device 56 is connected to the lane change management antenna 55. A lane change management device 57 for managing lane changes is connected.
[0053]
The communication area of the lane change management antenna 55 covers a place where the lane change is performed.
[0054]
b) Next, the procedure for changing lanes will be described. Here, for example, as shown in FIG. 11, the vehicle A traveling in the first lane desires to change the lane to the second lane, and the vehicle B traveling in the second lane travels in the second lane as it is. Take the case as an example. The in-vehicle communication device 8 can communicate with the road side communication device 56 via the lane change management antenna 55 in addition to the communication with the tags 51 and 53.
[0055]
In FIG. 12, while showing the relationship between the tags 51 and 53, the vehicle-mounted communication device 8, the driver-side interface, and the travel control device 7, the vehicle-mounted communication device 7 (connected to the road-side communication device 5). The relationship with the lane change management apparatus 57 is shown. As shown in FIG. 12, first, when the driver of the vehicle A wants to change the lane, the lane change request is transmitted to his / her travel control device 7 by, for example, a switch operation. At this time, since the vehicle A is outside the communication area of the lane change management antenna 55, the vehicle A continues the linear travel control in the first lane.
[0056]
Next, when the in-vehicle communication device 8 of the vehicle A receives the transmission from the lane change management antenna 55, the vehicle A (that is, the travel control device 7) detects that it has entered the communication area. Then, the traveling control device 7 of the vehicle A transmits a lane change request to the road side communication device 56 by the in-vehicle communication device 8. At the same time, the traveling control device 7 notifies the driver of the start of the lane change control by using, for example, a lamp or voice.
[0057]
On the other hand, when the roadside communication device 56 receives the lane change request, the roadside communication device 56 searches for surrounding vehicle trends based on data of the lane change management device 57, transmission data from other vehicles B, and the like. At this time, since the vehicle A is in the lane changeable region, the vehicle A communicates with the straight traveling tag 51 while traveling, reads the information, and transmits the information to the road side communication device 56. Thereby, the road-side lane change management device 57 can detect which position the vehicle A requesting the lane change travels.
[0058]
In addition, the lane change management device 57 predicts the travel position of the vehicle B traveling in the adjacent lane by calculating the travel positions of the vehicle A and the vehicle B with reference to the vehicle A requesting the lane change. That is, it is predicted at which point the vehicle B traveling behind has overtaken the vehicle A and when the vehicle A is safe to change lanes.
[0059]
And the lane change management apparatus 57 judges whether the vehicle A which requested the lane change can change the lane from the prediction result. For example, in FIG. If the lane change is started when passing the 13 straight traveling tags 51, it is determined that the vehicle B can travel ahead of the vehicle A with a sufficient interval.
[0060]
When the lane change management device 57 determines that the vehicle A can change lanes, the lane change management device 57 calculates a timing at which the vehicle A that has requested the lane change can safely change lanes. Tag), speed, and timing. Specifically, for vehicle A, no. The lane change is started from the straight traveling tag 51 of No.13. 121-No. The fact that the lane can be changed at the speed v is transmitted using the route of the 126 lane change tag 53.
[0061]
When the vehicle A receives the data by the in-vehicle communication device 7, the travel control device 7 determines how and at which position the steering, the accelerator, and the like are moved. In addition, the driver is notified of the start of lane change control. At the same time, the traveling control device 7 reads and confirms the position of the vehicle A from each of the tags 51 and 53. Since the data read from the lane change tag 53 by the vehicle A is also transmitted to the road side communication device 56, the lane change management device 57 determines which position the vehicle A in the lane change is traveling. I can grasp it.
[0062]
The travel control device 7 operates each actuator to perform the operation determined at the time of the lane change, and controls the travel of the vehicle so as to follow the lane change tag 53 as in the first embodiment. Change lanes. Specifically, in FIG. After passing through the 13 straight traveling tags 51, the traveling control device 7 turns the steering to the right (in the second lane direction) by the initial angle. Thereby, the vehicle A is No. Passes over 121 lane change tag 53. At this time, which antenna A1 to A3 of the front in-vehicle antenna 3 is No. Whether the information of the lane change tag 53 of 121 is received or not is monitored. As shown in FIG. 7, the steering angle is determined so that the information on the lane changing tag 53 of 122 can be received by the antenna A2 at the center of the vehicle.
[0063]
Here, since a sudden change in steering may cause anxiety to the passenger, the maximum value of the steering change amount is set according to the speed of the vehicle. That is, when the vehicle A is changed to the right lane, reception of the signal of the lane change tag 53 is started from the area E5 by the three antennas A1 to A3 of the front in-vehicle antenna 3. Therefore, when the signal of the lane change tag 53 is received, the direction of the vehicle is controlled so as to be received in the order of the areas E5, E3, E1 by the steering control, and finally the signal is sent only from the area E1. To control the driving so that it can be received. Thus, the lane change can be automatically performed.
[0064]
The travel control of the vehicle compares the predicted passing position of each tag 51, 53 with the actual predicted passing position, and performs precise feedback control so that the deviation of the predicted position is as small as possible. By the control described above, the vehicle A is When the lane change to the second lane is completed via the lane change tags 53 of Nos. 121 to 126, the vehicle A becomes the No. 2 lane. Information of 29 straight traveling tags 51 (tags for completion of lane change) is received.
[0065]
When the in-vehicle communication device 7 receives the information, the driver is notified that the lane change has been completed. At the same time, the traveling control device 8 starts the straight traveling control in the second lane and notifies the driver to that effect. At the same time, the completion of the lane change is transmitted to the road side communication device 56.
[0066]
When the lane change management device 57 obtains the information, the lane change management device 57 cancels the lane change request. Thereby, a lane change can be performed easily and safely.
[0067]
c) Next, communication frames used for communication between the road side communication device 56 and the vehicle side communication device 8 will be described.
[0068]
Here, in order to communicate with a plurality of vehicles, as shown in FIG. 13, a communication frame of half-duplex communication is used. That is, a communication frame used for communication between the roadside communication device 56 and the in-vehicle communication device 8 includes a frame control message slot (FCMS), a message data slot (MDS), an activation slot (ACTS), and an identification code slot. (WCNS; not shown).
[0069]
The FCMS is provided with a slot (FCMC) used for transmitting frame control information from the lane change management antenna 55 to a plurality of vehicles, one for each frame, and is located at the head of the frame. The MDS includes a slot (MDC) and an attack channel (ACKC) that are used for data transmission / reception. The number of MDSs is appropriately (multiple) provided according to the size of the communication area and the communication speed. The larger the communication area, the more vehicles are present in the communication area, and the number of MDSs increases.
[0070]
ACTS is a switch used by the lane change management antenna 55 to link the in-vehicle communication device 8 (to ensure communication coupling with the in-vehicle communication device 8), and a plurality of channels are set, and the ID of the in-vehicle communication device 8 is set in this channel. Is sent. When the in-vehicle communication device 8 that wants to communicate with the lane change management antenna 55 enters the communication area of the lane change management antenna 55, the ID of the in-vehicle communication device 8 is sent to this channel, and the in-vehicle communication device 8 is sent to the lane change management antenna 55. Tell the existence of.
[0071]
That is, by using the above-described configuration, the road side communication device 56 can communicate with a plurality of vehicles via the lane change management antenna 55. As described above, in this embodiment, the lane change tag 53 is arranged along the travel target line where the lane change is performed at the place where the lane change is performed, and the lane change is performed as a road side system for managing the lane change. A management antenna 55, a roadside communication device 56, and a lane management control device 57 are provided.
[0072]
Therefore, when the vehicle wishes to change the lane, necessary information such as the travel position is transmitted and received between the in-vehicle communication device 8 and the road side communication device 56 within the communication area of the lane change management antenna 55. By receiving an appropriate command from the lane change management device 57, the vehicle can change the lane safely and reliably.
[0073]
In addition to the above method, for example, the straight traveling tag 51 under the control of the lane change management antenna 55 is within the communication area of the lane change management antenna 55 in response to the transmission request of the vehicle, that is, the lane change is performed. It may be sent that it is possible.
[0074]
[Example 3]
Next, as Example 3, a tag installation component used when a tag is installed on a road and a tag installation device using the tag installation component will be described. In addition, the same part as the said Example 1 is abbreviate | omitted or simplified. a) First, tag installation parts will be described.
[0075]
As shown in FIG. 14, the tag installation component 63 for installing the tag 61 on the road has a metal film base (or resin base) 65 and a number of tags 61 arranged on a roller 67. As shown in FIG. 15, the tag installation parts 63 are provided with guide holes 71 in one row on both sides in the width direction for guiding when the tag installation parts 63 are pulled out from the rollers 67. Further, the tag 61 is detachably connected to the metal film base 65 through a plurality of support portions 73 having a small diameter at the center of the tag installation component 63.
[0076]
Therefore, when the tag 61 is installed, the tag 61 can be separated from the metal film base 65 by pressing the tag 61 from the vertical direction of the metal film base 65.
[0077]
b) Next, a tag installation device will be described.
[0078]
As shown in FIG. 16, the tag installation device 71 is mounted on a vehicle 73 such as a truck. Specifically, from a front side of the vehicle 73, there is a recess forming machine 77 that opens a recess 75 for installing a tag on the road, and a positioning mechanism by a CCD camera 79 in order to fix the tag 61 to the formed recess 75. , A sealant filling machine 81 for injecting and filling the sealant 80, a roller 67 around which the tag installation component 63 is wound, and a pressing roller 83 for pressing the tag 61 placed in the recess 75.
[0079]
In the tag installing device 71, as the vehicle travels slowly, a recess 75 is formed by the recess forming machine 77, and the sealing agent 80 is filled in the recess 75 by the sealant filling machine 81. Next, the tag 61 is placed in the recess 75 while the tag installation component 63 is fed out from the roller 67 by the feeder 76 in the recess 75 filled with the sealant 80, and the tag 61 in the recess 75 is pressed by the pressing roller 83. Press to align the height. Thereafter, when the sealant 80 is cured, the metal film base 65 is peeled off and the installation of the tag 61 is completed.
[0080]
c) Next, operations such as data writing to the tag 61 will be described. As shown in FIG. 17, a writing antenna 91 is provided in front of the vehicle. The writing antenna 91 sequentially writes information on the tag 61 installed on the road while the vehicle is running. For example, when writing coordinate information to the tag 61, a GPS device 93 mounted on the vehicle can be used.
[0081]
A programming confirmation antenna 95 is provided on the rear side of the vehicle in order to confirm whether the coordinate information written in the tag 61 is accurate. Here, the electronic control unit 97 checks whether the data written by the writing antenna 91 is the same as the data read by the programming checking antenna 95. If there is an error, write again.
[0082]
With this configuration, it is possible to confirm whether or not the straight traveling tag 51 and the lane changing tag 53 function normally. In addition, this invention is not limited to the said Example at all, and it cannot be overemphasized that it can implement with a various aspect in the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention.
[0083]
For example, like AHS, it is not limited to a highway or an automobile exclusive road. For example, when a vehicle is guided to a parking lot (garage) of a general household (garage entry), a tag is laid from the road to the garage, and the vehicle can accurately enter the garage by detecting the tag position. .
[0084]
In a general parking lot, guidance (automatic guidance) to an empty space can also be performed using tags arranged on the route to the empty space.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a vehicle guidance tag according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a vehicle guidance system according to a first embodiment.
3A and 3B show a vehicle guide tag according to a first embodiment, in which FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 3B of the vehicle guide tag, and FIG.
4A and 4B show a circuit board of Example 1, in which FIG. 4A is a top view, FIG. 4B is a side sectional view, and FIG. 4C is a bottom view.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a communication area of a vehicle guidance tag according to the first embodiment.
6 is an explanatory diagram showing a manufacturing procedure of the vehicle guidance tag of Example 1. FIG.
7A and 7B show an in-vehicle antenna according to the first embodiment, where FIG. 7A is an explanatory diagram showing the arrangement of three antennas, and FIG. 7B is an explanatory diagram showing communication areas of the three antennas.
FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a transmission signal transmitted from the vehicle-mounted antenna according to the first embodiment.
FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a vehicle guidance control process performed by the vehicle guidance system according to the first embodiment.
FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a configuration of a lane change management system according to a second embodiment.
FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state of lane change managed by the lane change management system according to the second embodiment.
FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing a lane change procedure managed by the lane change management system according to the second embodiment.
FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a communication frame used in the lane change management system according to the second embodiment.
FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing a state where a tag installation component of Example 3 is wound.
15 is a plan view showing a tag installation component of Example 3. FIG.
FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a tag installation device according to a third embodiment.
FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram illustrating operations such as writing data to a tag according to the third embodiment.
FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram of a prior art.
[Explanation of symbols]
1,61 ... Vehicle guidance tag
3. Front car antenna
5 ... Rear in-vehicle antenna
7. Travel control device
8 ... In-vehicle communication device
11 ... Circuit board (printed circuit board)
13 ... Spacer
15, 15a, 15b ... Tempered glass plate
17, 80 ... Sealing agent
19 ... Mounting case
20 ... Basic structure
21 ... Patch antenna
27. Digital circuit
31 ... Battery
33 ... Control element
35. Communication element
51 ... Direct-going tag
53 ... Lane change tag
55 ... Lane change management antenna
56 ... Road side communication equipment
57 ... Lane change management device
63 ... Tag installation parts
71 ... Tag setting device

Claims (1)

A vehicle guidance system using a vehicle guidance tag arranged on the ground to guide a vehicle by communication,
With the vehicle guide tags arranged along the travel target line,
On the vehicle side,
A communication means capable of transmitting and receiving information to and from the vehicle guidance tag;
Command means for sending a command for causing the vehicle to transmit the information to the vehicle guidance tag by the communication means;
In response to the command, travel control means for performing travel control of the vehicle based on the information transmitted from the vehicle guidance tag to the vehicle;
With
Furthermore, the communication means has first to third antennas at the center and both sides thereof, is set so that communication areas formed by adjacent antennas overlap, and transmission of the first to third antennas The signal uses one frequency , the first and third antennas on both sides output a transmission signal at the same timing, and the central second antenna has a timing at which the first and third antennas do not output a transmission signal. While outputting the transmission signal,
When the transmission control signal is received from the vehicle guidance tag only by the second antenna, the traveling control means maintains the current traveling control, and only the first antenna or only the third antenna is used for the vehicle guidance. When receiving a transmission signal from the tag, the vehicle is controlled to turn largely left or right respectively,
When the transmission signal from the vehicle guidance tag is received only by the first and second antennas or only by the second and third antennas, only the first antenna or only the third antenna is used from the vehicle guidance tag. The vehicle guidance system using the vehicle guidance tag is characterized in that control is performed to turn the vehicle to the left or the right to the left when the transmission signal is received.

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