Communications: electrical – Traffic control indicator – Combined
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-25
2002-02-05
Hofsass, Jeffery (Department: 2632)
Communications: electrical
Traffic control indicator
Combined
C340S539230, C235S384000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06344803
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to radio apparatus on the a roadside (namely, an on-road unit) that is provided in a non-stop automatic toll collection system and that is operative to transmit data, which is necessary for toll collection, to and receive such data from a vehicle-mounted unit provided on a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, when a vehicle enters an expressway from an ordinary road, and, conversely, when a vehicle leaves an expressway for an ordinary road, the vehicle should temporarily stop at a tollbooth (in case where an expressway is toll road), and a driver should receive a toll ticket and pay a toll. Thus, many vehicles often queue up back from the front of the tollbooth.
To prevent an occurrence of a queue of vehicles (or traffic congestion) back from the front of a tollbooth, hitherto, there has been proposed a non-stop automatic toll collection system that can collect tolls without temporarily stopping vehicles at a tollbooth.
It is necessary for realizing such a system to perform transmission/reception of data, which is required to collect tolls, between an on-road unit, which is provided on a road, and a vehicle-mounted unit mounted on a vehicle. In this case, a transmitting antenna and a receiving antenna are attached to an on-road unit. Transmission of necessary data for toll collection is performed between an on-road unit and a vehicle-mounted unit. Thus, non-stop toll collection is performed without causing a vehicle to temporarily stop at a tollbooth.
The aforementioned on-road unit is, however, installed outdoors. It is, thus, necessary to prevent this on-road unit from being damaged by wind, rain, sunlight, and dust. Consequently, there has been an immediate demand that the system has protection means for protecting this on-road unit from wind, rain, sunbeams, and dust.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is accomplished in view of the aforementioned demand. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a roadside radio apparatus that can protect a radio device body and an antenna thereof from being damaged by wind, rain, sunlight, and dust, and that shows long-term durability.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a first roadside radio apparatus for transmitting data, which is necessary for toll collection, to a vehicle-mounted unit mounted on a vehicle and receiving the data therefrom. This roadside radio apparatus comprises a housing, a radio device body accommodated in this housing, and an antenna accommodated in the housing and connected to the radio device body.
With such a configuration, in which the radio device body and the antenna connected thereto are accommodated in the housing, the radio device body and the antenna can be prevented from being damaged by wind, rain, sunlight, and dust. Moreover, a roadside radio apparatus having long-term durability can be provided.
Further, according to a second roadside radio apparatus, which is a modification of the first roadside radio apparatus of the present invention, the housing comprises a base having a radio device body accommodating recess portion and an antenna accommodating recess portion, which are disposed back to back with each other, and using a surface part of the antenna accommodating recess portion as a radio wave reflecting surface, a base cover that covers the radio device body accommodating recess portion of this base and that constitutes a radio device body accommodating portion, which accommodates a radio device body, together with the base, and an antenna cover that covers the antenna accommodating recess portion of the base and that constitutes an antenna accommodating portion, which accommodates an antenna substrate, together with the base.
With such a configuration, in which the radio device body is accommodated in the radio device body accommodating portion consisting of the radio device body accommodating recess portion of the base and the base cover, and in which the antenna is accommodated in the antenna accommodating portion consisting of the antenna accommodating recess portion of the base and the antenna cover, the radio device body and the antenna can be prevented from being damaged by wind, rain, sunlight, and dust. Moreover, a roadside radio apparatus having long-term durability can be provided.
Additionally, electric circuit components of the radio device body can be repaired only by removing the base cover from the base. This enhances the serviceability and assemblability of the apparatus.
Further, according to a third roadside radio apparatus, which is a modification of the second roadside radio apparatus of the present invention, the housing further comprises a radio wave leakage preventing means for preventing radio waves, which are reflected by the radio wave reflecting surface of the base, among radio waves transmitted from the antenna from leaking toward sides of the housing.
With such a configuration, effects similar to those of the first roadside radio apparatus can be obtained. Moreover, among radio waves transmitted from the antenna substrate, the radio waves reflected by the radio wave reflecting portion of the base can be prevented by the radio wave leakage preventing means from leaking to the sides of the housing. Consequently, an occurrence of a phenomenon of diffraction of radio waves can be prevented.
Further, according to a fourth roadside radio apparatus, which is a modification of the third roadside radio apparatus of the present invention, the radio wave leakage preventing means is constituted in such a way as to block a space provided between the antenna, which is accommodated in the antenna accommodating portion, and the radio wave reflecting portion with a radio wave cutoff member for shutting off a radio wave reflected by the radio wave reflecting portion.
With such a configuration, effects similar to those of the first roadside radio apparatus can be obtained. Moreover, radio waves transmitted from the antenna substrate and reflected by the radio wave reflecting portion of the base are shut off by the radio wave cutoff member. Thus, the radio waves can be prevented from leaking to the sides of the housing. Consequently, an occurrence of a phenomenon of diffraction of radio waves can be prevented.
Further, according to a fifth roadside radio apparatus, which is an modification of the fourth roadside radio apparatus of the present invention, the radio wave cutoff member is a radio wave cutoff rib formed in the radio wave reflecting portion of the base.
With such a configuration, effects similar to those of the first roadside radio apparatus can be obtained. Moreover, radio waves transmitted from the antenna substrate and reflected by the radio wave reflecting portion of the base are shut off by the radio wave cutoff rib. Thus, the radio waves can be prevented from leaking to the sides of the housing. Consequently, an occurrence of a phenomenon of diffraction of radio waves can be prevented.
Further, according to a sixth roadside radio apparatus, which is a modification of the second roadside radio apparatus of the present invention, the antenna cover is made of a radio wave transmissive material having good weather-resistance and permittivity.
With such a configuration, effects similar to those of the first roadside radio apparatus can be obtained. Moreover, the antenna cover can be made of a radio wave transmissive material, for example, an ASA resin, which has good weather-resistance and permittivity.
Further, according to a seventh roadside radio apparatus, which is an modification of the second roadside radio apparatus of the present invention, the antenna is constituted by an antenna substrate. Moreover, the antenna accommodating portion has a distance maintaining means for maintaining the distance L between the antenna substrate and the antenna cover at a value at which characteristics of the antenna are optimum.
With such a configuration, effects similar to those of the first roadside radio apparatus can
Matsuoka Satori
Tsubouchi Toshimichi
Hofsass Jeffery
La Anh
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Pearne & Gordon LLP
LandOfFree
Roadside radio apparatus does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Roadside radio apparatus, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Roadside radio apparatus will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2959245