FR2612715A1 - Device for transmitting information and/or instructions between road vehicles and a control post - Google Patents

Abstract

It includes a hollow tube 4, 7 parallel to the route 3 followed by the vehicles, forming a waveguide, an emissive face of which is drilled with a network of openings for passage of microwave electromagnetic radiation, the road vehicles being provided with at least one microwave transmission and/or reception antenna 5, 8 arranged opposite that face of the tube drilled with a network of openings, the hollow tube being connected to at least one microwave feed unit and to a unit for receiving microwaves coming therefrom.

Description

 The present invention relates to a device for transmitting information and / or instructions between road vehicles and at least one control station.

 So far, such radio links have been provided. This type of connection requires the installation on board each road vehicle of a relatively costly transmitter. Furthermore, the number of frequencies available for such links is limited.

 The Applicant proposed in its French patent application No. 8617425 of December 12, 1986 a device for transmitting information and / or instructions with high bandwidth between a rail vehicle and a traffic control station, comprising a hollow tube, parallel to the track, forming a waveguide, one emissive face of which is pierced with a network of hyperwave wave passage openings, the vehicle being provided with at least one antenna for transmitting and / or receiving such microwave waves. Such a hollow tube can be formed by the energy supply rail of the vehicle or by the reaction plate of a propulsion system with linear motor. This device cannot therefore be transposed as such to the transmission of information between a control post and road vehicles, the information or instruction needs of which are generally much smaller.

 The object of the present invention is to enable the transmission of information and / or instructions between a road vehicle and a checkpoint in circumstances where the latter is of particular importance and must be carried out very quickly.

 The device according to the invention is characterized in that it comprises a hollow tube, parallel to the track followed by the vehicles, forming a waveguide, one emissive face of which is pierced with a network of passage openings of electromagnetic microwave radiation, road vehicles being provided with at least one antenna for transmitting and / or receiving microwave waves, disposed opposite the face of the tube pierced with a network of openings, the hollow tube being connected to at least one organ for supplying microwave waves and to a member for receiving microwave waves coming from it.

 It also preferably meets at least one of the following characteristics - To ensure automatic tolling at the entrance to paid traffic lanes without stopping vehicles, it includes at least one toll barrier upstream section of track provided with the hollow tube forming a waveguide, and this tube is connected to a control post provided on the one hand with a link with a center for supplying and recording bank data, and on the other hand a control link for the opening of the toll barrier.

- The hollow tube parallel to the section of track upstream of the toll barrier has a first zone allowing the interrogation of the vehicle and the reception of identification data, a second zone allowing the processing of this data by the control post, and a third zone allowing the validation of the identification data and the opening of the barrier.

- For a vehicle test track, the hollow tube forming a waveguide is arranged along the track, it is connected at one end to a first control station provided with a microwave power supply member. on a first channel and to a transmitter for transmitting data and interrogations on this channel, and it is connected at another end to another control station provided with a device for eliminating the signals transmitted on the first channel and to bodies for receiving and processing microwave signals emitted from a motor vehicle on a second channel.

- For the dissemination of information and instructions to the drivers of at least certain vehicles, such as priority vehicles, along a road, the hollow tube forming a waveguide is placed along the road, it is connected to a control post provided with organs for supplying the hollow tubes with microwave waves and for distributing information carried by these waves, and these vehicles are provided with an antenna for receiving information transmitted by the hollow tube .

- For the transmission of information from at least some of the vehicles in particular having priority, along a road, these vehicles also comprise an antenna for transmitting information to the hollow tube, and the control station comprises a member receiving and processing information disseminated by vehicles.

- The hollow tube is placed in a channel dug in the track and parallel to its axis, at ground level, its openings direct the radiation emitted vertically, and the antennas of vehicles are close to the ground and directed downwards.

- The hollow tube is arranged laterally to the track, and the vehicle antennas are arranged on their side, towards the hollow tube.

 It is described below, by way of examples and with reference to the figures of the appended drawing, devices for transmitting information and / or instructions between road vehicles and checkpoints.

 Figure 1 shows an automatic toll station without stopping vehicles at the entrance of a paying lane.

 FIG. 2 represents an element of a test track for automobiles.

 FIG. 3 represents a priority vehicle along a road provided with a device for exchanging information and instructions.

 In Figure 1, vehicle 1 is at the entrance to the automatic toll booth 2, at the entrance to the toll lane. The access track is provided with a hollow rectangular tube 4, forming a waveguide, of square or rectangular cross section, buried in its axis, and the upper face of which, provided with rectangular openings perpendicular to its axis, directing the radiation upwards, is flush with the tread.

 The vehicle is then provided at the bottom of the body and in its axis with a transmitting antenna 5, and possibly with a receiving antenna, both directed downwards. The hollow tube 4 communicates via the high-speed microwave link 6 shown in dashed lines with a control station 10.

 As a variant, the access track is bordered by a rectangular tube 7, placed a short distance above the ground, and the vehicle is provided at the bottom of its side with a transmitting antenna 8 facing towards this tube. The latter communicates via the high-speed microwave link 9, shown in dashed lines, with the control station 10. The distance between the vehicle antenna and the lateral hollow tube preferably remains at most 2 meters.

 Although the two possible embodiments, tube buried in the axis of the access track, and tube bordering the track, have both been shown in the figure, it will be understood that in practice the only one of these links will exist.

 The traffic lane for the vehicles to be checked is divided into three successive parts A, B and C.

 Part A is used for interrogating the vehicle by the control station 10 and for receiving its identification data, using hollow tubes 4 or 7. In this zone, the vehicle speed must be reduced to a maximum value of approximately 60 km / h, to allow interrogation and identification to take place.

 The second part B is intended to allow the processing of this data by the control station 10: interrogation of the center for supply and recording of bank data 11, verification of the existence of a bank account provisioned and debit of this account .

Light signals 12, 13 controlled by the control station 10, thanks to the microwave link 14, border this part of the track and indicate to the driver of the vehicle if he can progress and at what speed.

 The third part C allows the validation of the debit operated on the bank account of the driver of the vehicle and the authorization of passage for this one.

 The control station 10 sends by the link 15 to the light signal 16 a "green light" order and to the barrier 17 an order to open.

 FIG. 2 represents a test track for cars, belonging for example to an automobile manufacturer or to a tire manufacturer, or to an approval body for types of automobiles.

The vehicle 1 travels on the test track 3. This comprises a rectangular cross-section tube intended to convey information and / or instructions at high speed by microwave waves and provided with openings of generally rectangular shape, perpendicular to its axis.

This hollow tube can be buried in the axis of the track, its upper face flush with the level of the roadway (tube 4 provided with openings 20) or placed on an edge of the roadway, a little above the ground (tube 7 provided with openings 21), supported for example by a safety barrier. The vehicle is provided in the first case with a double antenna 5 for transmission and reception at the bottom of the body. In the second case, it is provided with a double transmitting and receiving antenna 8 on the side of the vehicle facing the hollow tube.

 The hollow microwave transmission tube receives at one end the energy carrying signals from the test control station 22 transmitted on a first channel A by a transmitter 23 connected to a control desk 24, and it also receives all along the track the energy carrying the signals transmitted by the vehicle during the tests. At the other end of the waveguide, a recording station (not shown) eliminates the signals of channel A and collects the signals of another channel B from the vehicle, which are amplified and shaped for the usage needs.

 FIG. 3 represents a device for exchanging information and instructions between a vehicle, for example a priority vehicle (gendarmerie, ambulance, firefighters, doctors) and a road control station. The vehicle 1 travels along the track, on the edge of which is disposed a hollow tube forming a microwave waveguide, a tube 4 buried in the axis of the track, its upper face provided with rectangular openings 20 flush the roadway, or a tube 7 provided with openings 21 disposed along the track, slightly above the ground, carried for example by a safety barrier. In the first case, the vehicle is provided at the bottom of the body and in its axis with a double transmitting and receiving antenna 5, and in the second case on its side facing the hollow tube with a double antenna transmission and reception 8.

 The hollow tube forming a waveguide is then provided, to compensate for the weakening of the signals along the track, with repeaters of known type arranged from far to far, ensuring the regeneration of the signals.

 Such a device can be adapted to allow the piloting of vehicles equipped with anti-collision devices.

Claims (8)

1 / Device for transmitting information and / or instructions between road vehicles (1) and a control post (7), characterized in that it comprises a hollow tube (4, 7), parallel to the track (3) followed by vehicles, forming a waveguide, one emissive face of which is pierced by a network of openings for the passage of electromagnetic microwave radiation, road vehicles being provided with at least one antenna (5 , 8) for transmitting and / or receiving microwave waves, disposed opposite the face of the tube pierced with a network of openings, the hollow tube being connected to at least one member for supplying microwave waves and to an organ for receiving microwave waves originating from it. 2 / Device according to claim 1, for automatic toll at the entrance of paid traffic lanes without stopping vehicles, characterized in that it comprises upstream of a toll barrier (2, fig.1) at least one track section (A) provided with the hollow tube (4, 7) forming a waveguide, in that this tube is connected to a control station (10) provided on the one hand with a connection to a supply center and recording bank data (11), and secondly to a control link for the opening of the toll gate (17). 3 / Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the hollow tube parallel to the track section upstream of the toll barrier has a first zone (A) allowing the interrogation of the vehicle and the reception of identification data, a second zone (B) allowing the processing of this data by the control post, and a third zone (C) allowing the validation of the identification data and the opening of the barrier. 4 / Device according to claim 1, for test track (3, fig.2) of motor vehicles, characterized in that the hollow tube forming waveguide (4, 7) is disposed along the track d 'tests, in that it is connected at one end to a first control station (22) provided with a microwave power supply member (23) on a first channel and to a transmitter (24) for transmitting data and interrogations on this channel, and in that it is connected at another end to another control station provided with a device for eliminating the signals transmitted on the first channel and with receiving devices and for processing microwave signals emitted from a motor vehicle on a second channel. 5 / Device according to claim 1, for dissemination of information and instructions to drivers of at least some vehicles (1) along a road (3, fig.3), characterized in that the hollow tube forming waveguide (4, 7) is arranged along the road, and in that it is connected to a control station provided with organs for supplying the hollow tubes with microwave waves and for broadcasting information carried by these waves, and in that these vehicles are provided with an antenna (5, 8) for receiving information transmitted by the hollow tube. 6 / Device according to claim 5, also ensuring the transmission of information from at least some of the vehicles taking the road, characterized in that these vehicles further comprise an antenna for transmitting information to the hollow tube, and in what the control post includes a body for receiving and processing information broadcast by vehicles. 7 / Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the hollow tube is arranged in a channel (4) hollowed out in the track and parallel to its axis, at ground level, in that its openings (20 ) direct the radiation emitted vertically, and in that the antennas (5) of the vehicles are close to the ground and directed downwards. 8 / Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the hollow tube (7) is disposed laterally to the track, and in that the antennas (8) of the vehicles are arranged on their side, towards the hollow tube.