JP3923833B2 - Information communication system for road - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a road information communication system that enables a road manager to transmit a detailed situation of a site at the time of a disaster, for example.
[0002]
[Prior art]
For example, in the event of a major earthquake, it is essential to recognize the situation in detail in order to respond quickly and appropriately. There have been many examples of unrecognizable and unsuccessful responses.
[0003]
Therefore, a method has been proposed in which information collecting means such as a camera is provided at a fixed point, or information is acquired while traveling while being mounted on an automobile, and the information is transmitted wirelessly to a management station, a branch office, or the like.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the event of a major disaster, radio waves tend to be complicated because they are used not only for telephone calls but also for wireless confirmation purposes. These methods cause radio wave interference, and information is sufficiently transmitted. There is no possibility.
[0005]
Further, in the method of installing a camera or the like at a fixed point, a considerable number is required to cover a vast range, and the installation cost becomes enormous when combined with communication means. Also, if the camera is installed remotely and the field of view of one camera is expanded, it will no longer be possible to shoot a detailed part.
[0006]
In addition, in the method of shooting with a camera mounted on an automobile or the like, traffic may be blocked by rubble or the like in the event of a major disaster in addition to the radio wave interference described above, and the automobile may not be able to reach the site.
[0007]
Therefore, the present invention provides an information communication system for roads that can recognize the detailed situation of a local situation in a catastrophe or the like with a simple method.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention has the following configuration in order to solve the above problems. In other words, a relay station capable of transmitting information by radio or wire with the central station is arranged on the road, and information for roads is used for communicating information between the portable station movable via the relay station and the central station. In a communication system, information is communicated between a portable station and a relay station by radio , and the relay station is provided at a road marker and communicates information with a portable station and / or a central station. Is standing from the upper surface of the road point mark, and the antenna also serves as a line-of-sight guide mark, and is characterized in that a reflective sheet is attached to the upper portion to enhance visibility .
[0009]
Workers carry portable stations to the site, collect information and transmit it wirelessly to a fixed relay station, and then via the relay station to the management station or branch office where the central station is installed. Information on the situation is transmitted, but the radio wave propagates a limited distance between the portable station and the relay station, so there is little risk of radio wave interference and the information is reliably transmitted from the portable station to the relay station. Is done. In addition, since the information is transmitted wirelessly from the portable station to the relay station, there is no need to insert an outlet into the relay station, and there is no cable connecting the portable station to the relay station. The handling of the carrier station is also easy.
[0010]
The portable station needs to be provided with information input means, but the input means may be a known one such as a digital camera or a portable microphone. By doing so, the local situation can be expressed in detail by video and audio information. The portable station may be provided with output means, and the output means may be a well-known one such as a portable speaker, and local workers can listen to instructions from the management station where the central station is installed, a branch office, etc. it can.
[0011]
The portable station can be connected to the input / output means, has a video and audio information transmission device, and is equipped with a wireless information transmission means. It is suitable for carrying around. It is necessary to provide both a portable station and a relay station as wireless information transmission means, and a publicly known device such as a wireless LAN device may be used.
[0012]
The transmission means from the relay station to the central station is not particularly limited and may be wireless, but it is preferable to use a cable in order to avoid radio interference. It is preferable to use an optical fiber because the cable can transmit a large volume of video quickly and does not require a relay point even at a relatively long distance.
[0015]
In addition, the relay station may be installed along with the placemark. The placemark is installed at a predetermined distance along the road from the reference point and displays the distance to the installation point. For example, in the case of a kilometer post, it is usually installed along the road every 1 km. Therefore, since a relatively large number of roads are installed around the road and the intervals between them are constant, radio waves are transmitted almost always at a distance that is less than half of the distance between the landmarks, making it easy to set the radio wave intensity, etc. Thus, the antenna is suitable for receiving radio waves from the portable station.
[0016]
Further, the relay station may be built in the point marker. The placemark has a cross-section of a certain size so that a vehicle from both directions can be recognized with one installation, and the installation of the relay station by incorporating the necessary equipment in the space formed inside it Since the point mark is relatively strong as a structure, it is preferable because it saves space and protects the relay station equipment.
[0017]
In addition, the relay station is characterized in that wireless communication is performed using both an omnidirectional antenna and a directional antenna.
[0018]
The present invention is also characterized in that communication of information between the portable station and the relay station is performed via at least one new relay station further provided between the relay station and the portable station. To do.
[0019]
In addition, the antenna of the relay station may also serve as a line-of-sight guide. In order to exchange radio waves with a portable station, a fixed relay station needs to be provided with an antenna for transmitting and receiving radio waves. However, the antenna can be transmitted and received at a higher point so that the radio wave can be transmitted and received. Also, by increasing the height of the antenna, it is possible to avoid problems such as communication failure due to the antenna being buried in snow during snowfall. By using the antenna as a line-of-sight guide, the height of the antenna can be increased, and at the same time, the line-of-sight guide can be easily recognized by the driver not only in normal conditions but also in snow. Moreover, it can be made structurally strong by using a gaze guidance mark rather than standing an antenna on a road marker alone.
[0020]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows an outline of the information flow in the present invention. First, for information communication from the portable station 1 to the central station 3, the information input means 14 is connected to the portable station 1 and collected by the video input means 141 and the voice input means 142 of the information input means 14. The situation in the field is wirelessly transmitted through a terminal computer 11 having a video and audio information transmission device, a wireless LAN device 12 as a wireless information transmission means attached to the terminal computer 11, and a portable station antenna 13. The radio wave 4 is sent to the relay station 2. The relay station 2 receives the radio wave 4 and is converted into an optical signal by the optical switching device 22 via the relay station antenna 24 and the wireless LAN device 21 which are wireless information transmission means. To the central office 3 by transmission means 5 which is an optical fiber cable. In the central office 3, the optical termination unit 31 and the optical switching device 32 convert the optical signal into a normal signal, and the video output means 34 and the audio output through the host computer 33 equipped with a video and audio information transmission device. By outputting by means 35, the local situation is grasped. Contrary to the above flow, voice can be sent from the voice input means 36 provided in the central station 3 to the voice output means 15 which is an information output means provided in the portable station 1. Instructions can also be sent to the site from the management office, office, etc. where
[0021]
The power supply used in the relay station 2 is not particularly limited in its supply method, and a commercial power supply may be used. However, in a major disaster, the commercial power supply itself may become unusable due to a power failure or the like. From the above, a charging means such as a solar battery panel or a storage means such as a storage battery may be provided. Further, an output switch may be provided in the storage means, and power may be supplied by turning on the switch when necessary. .
[0022]
FIG. 2 shows a more specific embodiment of the present invention. The information input unit 14 includes a video input unit 141 that is a digital camera and an audio input unit 142 that is a microphone. The portable station 1 includes a terminal computer 11 that is a portable personal computer and the information input unit 14. . Information on the local situation is transmitted from the wireless LAN device 12, which is a wireless LAN card with an antenna 13 connected to the terminal computer 11, to the relay station 2 by wireless radio waves 4. A relay station 2 comprising an antenna 24 erected on the road mark 2 that also serves as the road mark 20 and the line-of-sight guide mark receives information from the radio wave 4 by the antenna 24, and a wireless LAN built in the road mark 2. Information is transmitted from the apparatus 21, the optical switching device 22, and the optical termination 23 to the central office 3 by the transmission means 5 which is an optical fiber cable. The antenna has a reflective sheet attached to the top to enhance visibility. The central office 3 includes a host computer 33, video output means 34 as a video monitor, audio output means 35 as a speaker, and audio input means 36 as a microphone. The host computer 33 includes an optical termination unit 31 and an optical switching device. 32 is built in, and the transmitted information can be output as video and audio to grasp the local situation. Contrary to the above flow, voice can be sent from the voice input means 36 which is a microphone provided in the central station 3 to the voice output means 15 which is a portable speaker provided in the portable station 1. Instructions can also be sent to the site from the management office or office where the station 3 is installed.
[0023]
FIG. 3 shows one form of the relay station. The relay station is built in the road landmark 20, and an antenna 24 that also serves as a line-of-sight guidance marker is erected from the upper surface of the road landmark 20, and a reflection sheet 241 is attached to the upper portion of the antenna 24 . Since the antenna 24 also serves as a line-of-sight guide, the height of the antenna can be increased to widen the range where radio waves can be transmitted and received, and the strength of the antenna 24 itself can be increased. In addition, the gaze guidance mark is installed at a high position, so that it can be easily recognized by the driver, etc., and it is easier to recognize not only in normal cases but also in snow and structurally than standing from the ground surface. Can be strong. Especially when there is snow, the gaze guidance mark may be deformed by the snow load, and the advantage of making it structurally strong is exhibited. The length of the antenna 24 that also serves as the line-of-sight guidance mark may be fixed, but it may be telescopic, which makes it easy to recognize when there is no snow and when there is snow. In addition, the height of the gaze guidance mark can be adjusted.
[0024]
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment according to the present invention, in which at least one information communication between the portable station and the relay station is further provided between the relay station and the portable station. This is done via a new relay station. Normally, the communication area of the relay station 2 has a radius of about 500 m, and when the disaster site is far from the relay station 2 or when rushing to the disaster site, the portable station 1 relays by entering the vehicle until just before the disaster site. The communication area of the station 2 may be out of range. Therefore, a device capable of transmitting and receiving in a vehicle and the antenna 61 is mounted, a new relay station 6 is provided in the communication area of the relay station 2, and communication is performed via the new relay station 6, thereby enabling a wider area. The situation can be grasped by the mobile station 1.
[0025]
Further, the antenna 61 or 13 of the new communication station 6 or portable station 1 may perform the best transmission / reception by roaming. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, in a situation where a plurality of relay stations 2 are arranged, the antenna 61 or 13 is roamed so that the antenna is directed in the direction in which the incoming radio wave is strongest. In order to perform the best transmission / reception, not only a method of roaming the antenna, but also a diversity type antenna using antennas related to transmission / reception installed in a plurality of directions may be used.
[0026]
Furthermore, the antenna of the relay station 2 may include both a directional antenna 242 and an omnidirectional antenna 243 as shown in FIG. As is well known, when the output strength of the antenna is the same, the directional antenna is farther in a narrow range, and the omnidirectional antenna is capable of transmitting radio waves near a wide range. By providing both directional and omnidirectional antennas, for example, roads are complicated, and it is suitable for places where transmission and reception in a wide range are suitable, and reception in narrow and far ranges followed by a straight road It is possible to provide a relay station that can be suitably installed in various places such as various places.
[0027]
The directional antenna 242 may have a variable direction as shown in the top view of FIG. In the present embodiment, the directional antenna 242 faces in two directions, but a wider range can be set as a communication area by changing the direction in which the directional antenna 242 faces.
[0028]
FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of the arrangement of the central station 3 and the relay station 2 according to the present invention. The central station 3 and the relay station 2 are connected through an information communication network N. As the relay station 2, a road spot 2A, a road sign 2B, a lighting 2C, a sound barrier 2D, a fence or a guard rail, which are road incidental facilities, are provided. 2E, emergency telephone 2F, traffic light 2G, pedestrian bridge 2H, etc. are used. A relatively large number of these road incidental facilities are installed on the road, and it is easy to add a function as the relay station 2 to be involved in communication. The information communication network may use a LAN (Local Area Network), a telephone line, or the like.
[0029]
【The invention's effect】
By providing the input / output means in the portable station, a worker or the like can carry the portable station to the site and take pictures with the input / output means to obtain information on the situation at the site. The obtained information is transmitted wirelessly to a fixed relay station, and then transmitted to the management station, branch office, etc. where the central station is installed via the relay station. By doing so, information is reliably transmitted from the portable station to the relay station without being affected by radio waves. In addition, since information is transmitted wirelessly from the portable station to the relay station, there is no need to insert an outlet into the relay station. In addition, since there is no cable for connecting the portable station and the relay station, the portable station can be easily handled.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing details of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of a relay station according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing another embodiment according to the present invention.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing another embodiment according to the present invention.
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing another embodiment of the relay station according to the present invention.
7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of operation of the relay station shown in FIG. 6. FIG.
FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing another embodiment according to the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Portable station 11 Terminal computer 12 Wireless LAN apparatus 13 Antenna 14 Information input means 141 Video collection means 142 Audio collection means 15 Audio output means 2 Relay station 21 Wireless LAN apparatus 22 Optical switching device 23 Optical termination 24 Antenna 20 Road marker 241 Reflective sheet 3 Central office 31 Optical termination device 32 Optical switching device 33 Host computer 34 Video output device 35 Audio output device 36 Audio input device 4 Radio wave 5 Transmission means

Claims (6)

A road information communication system in which a relay station capable of transmitting information wirelessly or by wire with a central station is arranged on the road, and information is communicated between the portable station movable via the relay station and the central station An antenna that communicates information between a portable station and a relay station by radio , and that the relay station is provided on a road marker and that communicates information with a portable station and / or a central station. The information communication system for roads is characterized in that it stands up from the upper surface of a road marker, and the antenna also serves as a line-of-sight guide, and a reflective sheet is attached to the upper part to improve visibility. .  The road information communication system according to claim 1, wherein the relay station is provided in association with the road landmark. The road information communication system according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the relay station is built in the road point mark. The road information communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the relay station performs wireless communication by using a non-directional antenna and a directional antenna together. The information communication between the portable station and the relay station is performed through at least one new relay station further provided between the relay station and the portable station. 5. The road information communication system according to any one of 4 above. The antenna, the road information communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that also serves as a delineator.

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