JP2011517348A - Transponder for sending position data to motor vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

A transponder is described for transmitting position data to a vehicle (16), and the transponder (1, 13, 14, 15, 19) is installed in a location-fixed manner near the road. In addition, the position information is stored in the transponder (1, 13, 14, 15, 19), the position data is transmitted by the transponder (1, 13, 14, 15, 19), and further in the vehicle (16). Can be received.
In order to make location information available in a cost-effective manner, the transponders (1, 13, 14, 15, 19) will be installed in the roadway (2, 3, 10, 11, 12) of the road There is an offer.
Furthermore, the preferred use of the transponder (1, 13, 14, 15, 19) for transmitting position data and the vehicle (1) based on the position data transferred by the transponder (1, 13, 14, 15, 19). A method for driving 16) is described.
[Selection] Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to one or more transponders for transmitting location data to a vehicle, the transponders being installed in a locationally fixed manner near a road, Position information is stored in the transponder, which can be emitted by the transponder and received in the vehicle. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a preferred application of this transponder. Finally, a method for driving a motor vehicle using these transponders is also described.

  DE 103 14 440 A1 describes a method for radiating protected and useful data in vehicles where the authorization to use the data in the vehicle is approved as a correlative element of the road on which it is traveling or the area it is passing through. Disclosure. For this purpose, a valuation unit is provided in the vehicle, which is located on a specific route, or that the vehicle is of a specific type of route, for example a specific operator company. Information about whether it is located in a toll route is combined with the toll box from which information is obtained, and where appropriate, the current position of the vehicle is transferred to the toll box by the navigation system. The transmission time of a particular right can be combined, for example, for a vehicle passing through a toll point with a transponder, or a vehicle crossing an area boundary.

  In such situations, the transponder is therefore known to be used to activate or allow certain auxiliary functions in the vehicle. However, the disadvantage with this is that these transponders are to be located at specific stations, and moreover, simply allow the position of the vehicle to be determined in a dotted manner Just make it.

  DE 10 2004 035 856 A1 is an installation accessory for or in a traffic device such as a road sign, a set of traffic lights, or a traffic line display (delineator) Is described. In addition to actuation sensors such as radar sensors, passive backscatter transmitters or RFID transponders that can transmit data without relatively large energy consumption have also been proposed. . These ancillary devices can be used for automatic continuous counting points to measure traffic density, optical vehicle sensors, eg sensors for detecting the direction of travel on one-way roads, or eg crosswalks. Can be used as a warning means. In order to allow conclusions to be drawn regarding the speed of the vehicle at a known position within the speed measurement field of view, it may also be appropriate to connect an attachment to the global positioning system. . The previously mentioned passive system can also be used to determine the price due to the fact that the electronic accessory is mounted on the flexible paper, and the accessory on the portable paper also displays the traffic graphic as information Accurate location information can be received. With such information it is possible to determine the speed of the vehicle very accurately for a navigation system in the vehicle. However, it is disadvantageous for this solution that an electrical accessory should be mounted in each case on the road sign. As a result, the position of the position information cannot be freely selected. Furthermore, since different housings and attachment means must be provided for various installation positions, the additional information is relatively expensive, so that the cost effective position information of the area cover scheme is Even limited space areas, such as industrial premises, are not possible.

  The object of the present invention is therefore to make the location information available in an area-covering manner or in a cost-effective manner that can be received by the vehicle along a specific stop area.

  This object is achieved by a transponder according to the features of claim 1 and its designated use according to the features of claim 7.

  For this purpose, in particular, a transponder or a plurality of consecutively arranged transponders are installed in the roadway of the road, i.e. in particular in the roadway surface or in the roadway markings such as lane markings. is there. This transponder is placed directly on the road, so it not only locates the position information in the road as desired, but also provides information about where the vehicle is located, as well as actively driving the vehicle It is possible to use a transponder to do this. This location information may have related information, for example, information indicating the left hand and / or right hand end of the roadway where the vehicle stopped, a parking lot, or similar location. Furthermore, it can be provided that the position information is the position coordinates of a global positioning system such as GPS or Galileo. In the latter case, the position information improves the accuracy of position detection in a positioning system used in a vehicle, for example within the field of view of a navigation system, in a manner approximating a differential GPS system. Can be used for.

  According to one particularly preferred embodiment, the single or multiple transponders are embodied as passive transponders that can be operated by a transmission unit arranged in the motor vehicle. The position data emitted by the transponder after activation can now be received by a receiving unit in the vehicle. A particularly cost-effective improvement of the transponder is what is called a cost-effective RFID chip in a wide range of uses.

  In order to install a transponder on the roadway of the road, the transponder can be integrated into a non-electrically shielded housing. This housing is then installed, for example, in a cavity in the roadway.

  This housing can simply consist of a plastic housing that surrounds the transponder and in which the transponder is specially encapsulated. The housing can preferably be mounted in a cavity on the side opposite the roadway surface, for example by screwing or nailing. In order to prevent the transponder and the housing from being placed unprotected on the roadway, it is further proposed to close the cavity with the transponder contained therein, in particular using a rubber elastic mass. In such a situation, a possible rubber elastic mass is also the bonding material used, for example in bridge joints. As a result, this transponder is protected without significant electromagnetic shielding and is housed in the roadway in a virtually invisible manner.

  Alternatively, the transponder can also be integrated into the road marking. This road marking can in particular be formed from lines (eg lanes) provided on the road, cat's eyes that can travel over, or similar markings. In the case of lines drawn on the road surface, where appropriate, transponders protected by a thin housing, for example in the form of a film, are temporarily fixed to the roadway and covered by roadway markings to protect them be able to. This has the advantage that this transponder can be used not exactly in the road marking, but for example to accurately define the road edge within the lane aid.

  In such a situation, it is particularly advantageous if a plurality of transponders are arranged along the lane and / or to delimit a (auto) vehicle stop area. When transponders are placed along lanes on highways, for example, the transponders are optical lane aids, which often do not function correctly, and in particular, difficult road conditions ( It can be used in an optimal manner to supplement and support anything that does not work reliably under wet, reflective roads, snow, or the like), or as a replacement. The stop area on the roadway can be, for example, a parking lot or a permitted and prohibited zone in an industrial premises. In this case, the transponder assists automatic parking assistance or a vehicle in a commercial premises traveling by automatic driving.

  The invention therefore further provides a transponder which is installed in a fixed manner on the roadway of the road, and further stores position information which can be radiated by the transponder and received within the vehicle. In which the transponder is embodied in particular according to the features of claims 1 to 6 and / or the transponder is correspondingly arranged. According to the present invention, one or more transponders are used to transmit location information to the vehicle, which can evaluate the information and use it within the auxiliary system.

  In such a situation, one particularly preferred use is used to modify or provide more details for the position information of the transponder, especially the position information obtained by a wide-area positioning system. Provide that. As a result, its position can be defined significantly more accurately in an electronic map system, for example by a method approximating differential GPS, where a higher accuracy of the exact position within the global positioning system is achieved. Obtainable.

  Depending on the accuracy and density of the transponders placed on the roadway, a further preferred use is that the position information of the transponders can be used, for example, within the scope of parking assistance, or for vehicles automatically and without drivers in commercial premises. Provide to be used to drive the vehicle automatically for driving. A further concept of the autonomous driving system is to alert the driver and stop the vehicle, if appropriate, in defining a prohibited area for an automated vehicle and when he travels through the prohibited zone There is.

  According to the functionality described above, the invention further relates to a method for driving a vehicle along a specific route, where the stop position of the vehicle is obtained from the position data. Also, the route to the destination is defined by, for example, navigation data and position data installed along the route. Particularly in this type of driving system for motor vehicles, the invention proposes that the position information relating to the respective current stop position of the vehicle is transferred by a transponder installed on the roadway. These transponders are in particular configured according to the features of claims 1 to 6 and can be used according to the features of claims 7 to 9. The desired accuracy in the position data can be achieved by adapting to the density of the transponder placement on the roadway.

  According to one preferred embodiment of the method, it has been proposed that lane aids that read and evaluate the position information of the transponder are used to drive the vehicle. In such situations, in general, also permitted and forbidden areas, for example in industrial premises, can be predefined. In the permitted area, it is possible for the vehicle to drive automatically thereafter, for example. These areas can also be used to emit warning instructions to the driver and, where appropriate, to perform driving interventions in the vehicle. Suitable possible applications for this are, for example, airports that have to follow specific routes for ground aircraft and auxiliary vehicles. In conventional lane aids on highways in cities or large traffic arteries, the lanes not only provide boundary marking, but also assist systems in the vehicle accurately detect the lane in which the vehicle is located. Can also have lane markings or counting markings. The auxiliary system can then issue a request to the driver who is driving hard on the wrong side of the road to switch to the correct side of the road. In addition, the navigation system can position the vehicle in the correct lane before the upcoming junction. Furthermore, it is possible to detect lanes even when the roadway is covered with snow.

  Further features, advantages, and potential applications of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and drawings of further exemplary embodiments. Here, all described and / or graphically illustrated features by themselves, or optionally, subject to the subject matter of the invention independent of its claims, or combinations thereof in the back reference Even occurs.

1 shows a transponder according to a first embodiment installed on a roadway; 2 shows a transponder according to a second embodiment installed on a roadway roadway; Shows the arrangement of the transponders according to the invention with respect to lane markings, Fig. 4 shows the arrangement of a transponder according to the invention with respect to parking marking.

  FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a transponder 1 housed in a film (not shown). The transponder 1 is a passive transponder excited by a transmitter and transmits information stored in the transponder 1 until excitation energy is no longer available after excitation. A typical and preferred example of such a passive transponder 1 is an RFID chip.

  This transponder 1 is fixed to the road surface 2 illustrated in cross section and is covered by a road marking 3. Therefore, the transponder 1 is installed in the roadway of the road.

  In order to temporarily fix the transponder 1 to the road surface 2, for example, a bitumen mass can be used and pierced there. Furthermore, it is conceivable to pre-fix the transponder to the road by claws or other fixing means in the same way that the transponder is located at a desired point on the road surface. The road marking 3 is then applied in a known manner with the transponder 1 completely covered by the road marking 3, which thus protects the transponder 1. At the same time, the transponder can serve as a position marker for road marking due to the fact that its transponder 1 is configured to transmit its position data to the vehicle. A transponder that is fixed in position, which is a way to fix against a road surface near the road, has position information that can be stored for this purpose and emitted by the transponder and received in the vehicle. . Due to the fact that the transponder 1 is covered by the road marking 3, the transponder 1 is captively installed on the road roadway. As a variant, the transponder 1 can also be applied directly as part of the road marking, ie the colorant of the road marking, but since it no longer clearly defines the position of the transponder 1, it is absolutely Positioning can no longer take place.

  FIG. 2 shows another embodiment for installing the transponder 1 on the road surface 2. For this purpose, the cavity 4, in which the transponder 1 is arranged, is located on the road surface 2. The transponder 1 is placed in a non-electrically shielded housing 5 having two attachment areas 6 cast around the transponder 1 and provided with through openings. Each attachment area 6 is arranged on the opposite side of the transponder 1 in the housing 5. In the illustrated example, the housing 5 is secured in the recess 4 by a nail on the opposite side of the roadway surface 2. Instead of this nail, the housing 5 can also be screwed to the recess 4. Further, for example, it is conceivable that a plastic mandrel is cast at the center of the housing 5 on the side facing away from the road surface 2, and the mandrel fixes the transponder 1 to the recess 4 by the housing 5. And then inserted into the corresponding borehole in the cavity 4 for pre-fixation. Additional attachment possibilities are within the abilities of those skilled in the art. Furthermore, a transponder 1 similar to the embodiment described in FIG. 1 that is not surrounded by an additional housing 5 can be placed in the recess 4. This housing 5, however, provides additional protection and can be further formed as a cat's eye or other marking means that can be provided on the road surface where appropriate.

  To provide further protection of the transponder 1, the cavity 4 is occluded by a rubber elastic mass 7 that surrounds the housing 5 in this cavity 4 and terminates substantially flat with the roadway surface 2. For example, the joint material inserted in the region of the bridge serves as a mass 7 of rubber elasticity. Instead of the rubber elastic mass 7, it is also possible to use a bitumen-like material often used to repair relatively small road damage.

  A further possibility for the installation of the transponder 1 on a roadway not illustrated in the drawings is to mark the transponder in a cat's eye which is fixed to the roadway surface or in particular a stop area of a motor vehicle on the road It is housed in a similar position marker that helps.

  FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of an example of the possible use of transponders as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 and arranged in lane markings 10, 11, 12 bordering lanes 8, 9. The example in FIG. 3 shows a two-lane highway with a right-hand lane 8 and a second lane 9 that are bounded by the lane marking 10 with respect to the road shoulder. The transponders provided in the lane markings 10, 11 and 12 emit different position information. For example, the transponders 13 in the lane markings 10 emit a first position value, for example the value “0” after their activation. The transponder 14 emits a second position value, for example the value “1”. Correspondingly, the transponder 15 of the lane marking 12 emits third position information, for example the value “2”. When the vehicle 16 is traveling on the lane 8, the transmission and reception devices 17 and 18 are the transponders 13 and 14, and then radiate their position information “0” and “1” by the received energy. It emits radio waves to activate what it does. By receiving the position value “0” at the receiving device 17 and the position value “1” at the receiving device 18, the driving system existing in the vehicle 16 (not illustrated in FIG. 3) It is possible to detect that this information can be used by the vehicle-mounted navigation system or the driver assistance system. If the vehicle 16 leaves the lane 8, before the vehicle 16 leaves the lane 8 anyway, this can be done quickly and reliably, for example by the different reception strengths of the various transponder signals of the transponders 13,14. As a result, very sensitive and accurate lane assistance can be performed using the transponders 13, 14, 15 installed in the lane markings 10, 11, 12.

  Furthermore, a transponder 19 in which the exact information in the global positioning system (eg GPS or Galileo positioning) is stored can be placed in the lanes 8,9. By means of the receivers 17, 18, the vehicle 16 can then read into these positions and thus correct the position determined by the positioning system in a manner similar to so-called differential GPS. This correction can continue to be used even if there are no more transponders 19 present in the following road area. Such a transponder 19 with accurate position information of the global positioning system is such that, at such a position, reception of a wide-area, usually satellite-assisted positioning system is disrupted or limited. Installed advantageously on roads that are only possible. The use of such a transponder 19 is also appropriate at locations where a large number of vehicles 16 travel.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for a further possibility of using the transponder 1 proposed in accordance with the invention and arranged in the boundary lane of the parking partition 20 to further limit the stop area. The boundary of the parking partition 20 is therefore marked by these transponders 1 so that the receiving device 17 and 18 in the vehicle 16 causes the vehicle 16 to stop in the parking partition 20 or to delimit the boundary. It is possible to detect whether the vehicle has traveled beyond the limit. In this case, the transponder 1 is thus used as parking assistance, and automatic parking assistance can also be performed using these transponder signals. In a corresponding manner, the stop area for the vehicle 16 is useful, for example, for transport vehicles that run automatically in an industrial premise and without a driver, or where the vehicle is permitted. In order to emit a warning message when leaving, a limit can usually be set.

  The transponders 1, 13, 14, 15 and 19 proposed according to the invention thus increase the “intelligence” of the road, otherwise it is technical only in the vehicle itself, due to the large technical consumption. Functions that can be performed in a simple manner, and allows sensors to be performed.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Transponder 2 Roadway, road surface 3 Roadway, roadway marking 4 Cavity 5 Housing 6 Attachment area 7 Rubber elastic block 8, 9 Lane 10, 11, 12 Road, Lane marking 13, 14, 15 Transponder 16 Vehicle 17, 18 Transmission / reception device 19 Transponder 20 Stop area, parking partition

Claims (11)

  The transponders (1, 13, 14, 15, 19) are installed in a fixed manner near the road, and the position information is stored in the transponders (1, 13, 14, 15, 19). The position information is transmitted by the transponder (1, 13, 14, 15, 19) and can be received in the vehicle (16), the transponder (1, 13, 14, 15, 19) Transponder for transmitting position data for a vehicle (16), characterized in that it is installed in a roadway (2, 3, 10, 11, 12) of a road.   The transponder (1, 13, 14, 15, 19) is embodied as a passive transponder that can be operated by a transmission unit (17, 18) arranged in the vehicle (16), and after operation the transponder (1, 13. Transponder according to claim 1, characterized in that the position data transmitted by 13, 14, 15, 19) can be received by the receiving unit (17, 18) in the vehicle (16).   The transponder (1, 13, 14, 15, 19) is integrated in an electrically unshielded housing (5) and the housing is installed in a cavity (4) in the roadway (2) The transponder according to claim 1 or 2.   The housing (5) is mounted in a recess (4) on the side facing the roadway surface (2), and the cavity (4) is accommodated in the transponder (1, 13, 14, 15, 19. The transponder according to claim 3, which is blocked by 19).   Transponder according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the transponder (1, 13, 14, 15, 19) is integrated into the road marking (3, 10, 11, 12).   A plurality of transponders (13, 14, 15) are arranged along the lanes (8, 9) and / or to delimit the stop area (20) for the vehicle (16) The transponder according to claim 1.   Installed in a way that is fixed in position in the roadway (2, 3, 10, 11, 12) and can be radiated by the transponder (1, 13, 14, 15, 19) and the vehicle (16) The transponder (1, 13, 14, 15, 19) is used for transmitting the position information to the vehicle (16), wherein the position information that can be received within is stored. Use of (1, 13, 14, 15, 19).   Use according to claim 7, characterized in that the position information of the transponder (1, 13, 14, 15, 19) is used to correct the position data obtained by the positioning system.   9. Use according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the position information of the transponder (1, 13, 14, 15, 19) is used for automatically driving the vehicle (16).   Position data relating to the stop position of the vehicle (16) is transferred by transponders (1, 13, 14, 15, 19) installed in the roadway (2, 3, 10, 11, 12). A method of driving the vehicle (16) along a specific route in which the stop position of the vehicle (16) is obtained from the position information and the route to the destination is defined.   The lane auxiliary, which reads and evaluates the position information of the transponder (1, 13, 14, 15, 19), is used for driving the vehicle (16). 10. The method according to 10.

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