Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication – Vehicle subsystem or accessory control
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-23
2001-01-16
Cuchlinski, Jr., William A. (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
Vehicle subsystem or accessory control
C701S009000, C701S066000, C340S425500, C340S438000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06175791
ABSTRACT:
BACKGAOUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a car-mounted equipment for a dedicated short-range communication (hereinafter abbreviated as “DSRC”) used in intelligent transport systems (hereinafter abbreviated as “ITS”) such as ETC (electronic toll collection system) and the like systems. More specifically, the invention relates to a DSRC car-mounted equipment which executes data processing by using an IC card, and blocks the insertion of the IC card when the temperature is high or low to prevent the IC card from thermally deformed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The DSRC car-mounted equipment used for the ITS (ETC, etc.) generally uses an IC card that works as a removable external storage medium. As is well known, the IC card is driven upon the input of a password and stores personal data (charge transfer data, etc.) which can be read out as required.
FIG. 6
is a block diagram schematically illustrating a conventional DSRC car-mounted equipment. In
FIG. 6
, an on-the-road equipment
1
is installed on a road on where a vehicle travels. A DSRC car-mounted equipment (hereinafter simply referred to as “car-mounted equipment”)
2
executes a dedicated short-range communication with the on-the-road equipment
1
.
The car-mounted equipment
2
is equipped with the following elements
3
to
10
.
An antenna
3
transmits and receives transmission signals W
2
and reception signals W
1
to, and from, the on-the-road equipment
1
. Electronic circuits
4
and
5
include a communication control unit, a car-mounted equipment controller, etc. A display unit
6
displays a variety of information. A buzzer unit
7
produces voice and the like. On a circuit board
8
are mounted the antenna
3
, electronic circuits
4
and
5
, display unit
6
and buzzer unit
7
.
An IC card accommodation portion
9
in which an IC card C is detachably accommodated is constituted by a casing of the car-mounted equipment
2
and the circuit board
8
, and has an opening
9
a.
A contact portion
10
is provided in the inner surface of the circuit board
8
so as to be electrically connected to an electrode D of the IC card C and is exposed in the IC card accommodation portion
9
.
The communication control unit in the electronic circuits
4
and
5
demodulates reception signals W
1
received from the on-the-road equipment
1
through the antenna
3
, forms necessary transmission signals W
2
, and transmits the transmission signals W
2
to the on-the-road equipment
1
through the antenna
3
.
The IC card C works as an external storage medium from which data are read out or on which data are written by the car-mounted equipment controller in the electronic circuits
4
and
5
.
The display unit
6
and the buzzer unit
7
constitute an information means for informing required data of the car-mounted equipment controller.
Next, described below is the operation of the conventional car-mounted equipment
2
shown in FIG.
6
.
First, a driver who gets into the vehicle starts the engine, actuates the car-mounted equipment
2
, inserts the IC card C in the IC card accommodation portion
9
, and manipulates switches (not shown) arranged around the display unit
6
to input a password and the like.
Then, the car-mounted equipment controller in the electronic circuits
4
and
5
starts functioning, reads necessary data from the IC memory (not shown) embedded in the IC card through the electrode portion D and the contact portion
10
, exchanges various data relative to the on-the-road equipment
1
, and writes necessary data after the data processing into the IC memory in the IC card C.
After the use of the car-mounted equipment
2
, the driver removes the IC card C to secure the car-mounted equipment
2
and the IC card C.
That is, specific data of the IC card C prevents the car-mounted unit
2
and the IC card C from being used in an unauthorized manner.
Here, the main body of the IC card C is made of a plastic material and is susceptible to a change in the temperature compared with the car-mounted equipment
2
. It has been known that the temperature range which can be tolerated by the IC card C and in which the IC card C can be used is from about −10 to about +60° C., which is narrower than that of the car-mounted equipment
2
(operation range: from about −30° C. to about +85° C., preservation range: from about −40 to about +105° C.).
In midsummer, for example, the temperature in the closed vehicle easily exceeds the upper-limit value of the temperature range which is tolerated by the IC card C. In midwinter, on the other hand, the temperature easily drops below the lower-limit value of the temperature range tolerated by the IC card C.
However, the IC card C is inserted in the car-mounted equipment
2
based solely upon the will of the driver irrespective of the temperature in the car-mounted equipment
2
. When the IC card C is inserted under a condition where the temperature in the car-mounted equipment
2
is lying outside the temperature range tolerated by the IC card, however, the IC card C may be damaged due to thermal deformation.
In summer, the temperature of the car-mounted equipment
2
placed on the dashboard in a closed vehicle usually rises up to about 100° C., and it is probable that the IC card C may be inserted before the temperature drops down to the temperature range tolerated by the IC card C despite the driver opens the door and actuates the air-conditioning system.
It is probable that when, for example, the temperature is high, then, the IC card C is thermally deformed and thermally damaged due to the conduction of heat from the car-mounted equipment
2
and when the temperature is low, then, the plastic material forming the IC car C is damaged due to a low temperature and the IC wiring is damaged, and the function of the IC card C is damaged.
In general, important and significant data such as transfer of charge, etc. are stored in the IC card C. Accordingly, damage to the IC card C due, for example, to thermal deformation must be avoided as much as possible.
As described above, the conventional DSRC car-mounted equipment is equipped with no means for producing an alarm when the temperature of the IC card accommodation portion
9
deviates from the temperature range tolerated by the IC card C. It is not therefore possible to avoid the breakage of the IC card C due to thermal deformation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention was accomplished in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, and its object is to provide a DSRC car-mounted equipment that avoids the breakage of the IC card due to thermal deformation by providing a means which produces an alarm when the temperature is deviated from the temperature range tolerated by the IC card.
The present invention is concerned with a DSRC car-mounted equipment for executing a dedicated narrow-range communication with an on-the-road equipment installed on a road on which a vehicle travels, comprising:
a communication control unit for demodulating the signals received from said on-the-road equipment and for forming signals to be transmitted to said on-the-road equipment;
an IC card accommodation portion in which is removably accommodated an IC card that works as an external storage medium;
a contact portion provided in said IC card accommodation portion and is electrically connected to an electrode portion of said IC card;
a car-mounted equipment controller for reading and writing data to, and from, said IC card;
an information means for informing required data of said car-mounted equipment controller; and
a circuit board mounting at least said communication control unit, said car-mounted equipment controller and said information means, and constituting said IC card accommodation portion;
wherein said DSRC car-mounted equipment further comprises:
a temperature sensor disposed near said IC card accommodation portion;
a temperature-judging means for judging whether the temperature data detected by said temperature sensor lies within a temperature range tolerate
Arthur Gertrude
Cuchlinski Jr. William A.
Mitsubishi Denki & Kabushiki Kaisha
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
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