ETC (Electronic Toll Collection) control system and method based on array antenna, and computer equipment

Abstract

The invention provides an ETC charging control system and method based on an array antenna, and computer equipment, and relates to the technical field of ETC charging. The system comprises an ETC antenna, an RSU controller and lane software, the ETC antenna is responsible for communicating with an OBU, receiving and forwarding a command of the RSU controller, and transmitting a response of the OBU back to the RSU controller; and the RSU controller is responsible for receiving data of the ETC antenna, feeding back the data after packaging according to a lane software protocol, receiving a command of the lane software and issuing the command to the ETC antenna. In addition, the RSU controller is also responsible for synchronously controlling each ETC antenna to ensure the consistency of the transaction process. According to the invention, continuous transaction of the ETC vehicle in the lane is realized, so that the error-tolerant rate of the transaction is effectively improved. Meanwhile, by improving the one-time passing rate of the ETC lane, it is ensured that the ETC vehicle can pass smoothly, and the purpose that the ETC vehicle can pass through completely is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of ETC charging technology, and in particular to an ETC charging control system, method and computer equipment based on array antennas. Background Art

[0002] As the popularity of ETC increases, ETC transaction failures occur from time to time, which to some extent affects the traffic efficiency of ETC lanes. At present, the problems of ETC lanes are mainly reflected in: (1) Due to poor OBU consistency or low OBU power, the signal quality is weak and easily interfered by other signals, resulting in unsuccessful transactions.

[0003] (2) If the ETC vehicle is traveling too fast, the OBU may fail to read the ETC information, resulting in a traffic failure.

[0004] (3) If a failure occurs and an attempt is made to read the ETC again or change lanes, the vehicle needs to be reversed out of the transaction area, which may cause traffic congestion and a poor user experience.

[0005] (4) Occasionally, adjacent lanes may interfere with each other, resulting in vehicles being unable to pass normally.

[0006] In summary, the coordination of multiple ETC antennas is a complex and important task that requires comprehensive consideration of multiple factors to ensure the stability and efficiency of the system. Summary of the invention

[0007] The purpose of the present invention is to provide an ETC toll control system, method and computer equipment based on an array antenna, which can effectively improve the fault tolerance of transactions by realizing continuous transactions of ETC vehicles in the lane. At the same time, by improving the one-time pass rate of the ETC lane, it is ensured that ETC vehicles can pass smoothly and all vehicles that should pass can pass. In addition, the present invention improves the traffic efficiency, reduces the waiting time of vehicles at toll stations, and realizes the non-stop passage of ETC vehicles, thereby effectively alleviating traffic congestion and improving road use efficiency.

[0008] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an ETC toll control system based on an array antenna, including an ETC antenna, an RSU controller, and lane software; The ETC antenna is used to communicate with the on-board unit OBU, receive controller commands, convert them and send them to the OBU, receive OBU responses, convert them and send them to the RSU controller; The RSU controller is used to receive the original protocol data of each ETC antenna, and then encapsulate the data and feed it back to the lane software in accordance with the lane software transmission protocol format; The RSU controller is also used to receive commands issued by the lane software, and convert the commands and send them to each ETC antenna; The RSU controller is also used to synchronize and control each ETC antenna to ensure that the transaction processes performed by each ETC antenna are synchronized; The ETC antenna adopts an array type, and there are two layouts: the first layout has the ETC antenna located on both sides of the lane; the second layout has the ETC antenna located at the top of the lane.

[0009] Preferably, the ETC antenna uses a small omnidirectional antenna with a detection distance of 1 to 6 meters.

[0010] Preferably, the ETC antenna is capable of adjusting the radio frequency power and improving the capture of the OBU installation position by adjusting the angle between the antenna and the lane.

[0011] Preferably, a plurality of ETC antennas are provided, and a distance is set between the ETC antennas.

[0012] Preferably, the RSU controller coordinates the timing synchronization and linkage working status of each ETC antenna, adopts a multi-threaded processing method, merges and splits the data between different antennas, achieves division of labor and cooperation among multiple antennas, and performs ETC transactions on the same vehicle through multiple ETC antennas, ensuring the one-time success rate of ETC vehicle transactions.

[0013] Preferably, different ETC antennas should use different frequencies or channels to avoid signal conflicts.

[0014] Preferably, the barrier machine is located at one end of the ETC antenna.

[0015] An ETC charging control method based on an array antenna comprises the following steps: First, multiple ETC antennas are connected to a controller, and then the relevant information of the connected ETC antennas is configured on the controller, including the identification code, operating frequency, and communication protocol of the ETC antenna; The controller actively establishes a link with each ETC antenna based on the relevant information configured, and performs initialization. The initialization process includes setting the communication parameters of the antenna and calibrating the coverage of the antenna to ensure that the antenna can work normally and communicate accurately with the controller; Timing synchronization is used to ensure that each ETC antenna transmits and receives signals at a fixed time point to avoid signal conflicts and interference; Timing synchronization includes that each ETC antenna in the super ETC is always in working state and sends BST request frame signal at time intervals. When the vehicle enters the super ETC channel, the OBU receives the BST wake-up signal sent by any antenna, and feeds back the response signal VST to the antenna. The antenna transmits the received response signal to the RSU controller, encapsulates it and feeds it back to the lane software in the lane software transmission protocol format. The lane software sends the continue transaction instruction C1, and the controller sends a synchronization status signal to each connected ETC antenna and processes the transaction process with the OBU at the same time.

[0016] A computer device comprises a memory, a processor and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the steps of the method are implemented when the processor executes the computer program.

[0017] Therefore, the present invention adopts the above-mentioned ETC toll control system, method and computer device based on array antenna, and the technical effects are as follows: (1) Frequency and channel allocation: Different ETC antennas should use different frequencies or channels to avoid signal conflicts. This usually requires planning during the system design and deployment phase to ensure that each antenna can work effectively.

[0018] (2) Communication protocol: The ETC system should use a unified communication protocol to ensure data exchange and sharing of identification information between different antennas. This will help achieve seamless docking and efficient operation of the system.

[0019] (3) Synchronization mechanism: A synchronization mechanism needs to be established between multiple ETC antennas to ensure that they can respond to passing vehicles at the same time and avoid duplicate billing or missed billing.

[0020] (4) Coverage optimization: By properly arranging the antenna position and adjusting the antenna parameters, the antenna coverage can be optimized to ensure that the vehicle can be effectively identified no matter where it is.

[0021] (5) Fault detection and recovery: The system should have fault detection and recovery functions. When an antenna fails, it can automatically switch to other normally working antennas to ensure the continuous operation of the ETC system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the first layout method; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the second layout method; Figure 3 This is an architecture diagram of an ETC toll control system based on array antenna; Figure 4The present invention is a flow chart of an ETC charging control method based on array antenna.

[0023] Reference numerals 1. Barrier machine; 2. Array antenna; 3. Trading area; 4. Toll lane; 5. Toll island. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The technical solution of the present invention is further described below through the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0025] Unless otherwise defined, technical or scientific terms used in the present invention shall have the common meanings understood by one having ordinary skills in the field to which the present invention belongs.

[0026] Embodiment 1 An ETC toll control system based on array antenna, such as Figures 1 to 3 As shown, including: The ETC array antenna 2 communicates with the onboard unit OBU, receives the RSU controller command, converts it and sends it to the OBU, receives the OBU response, converts it and sends it to the RSU controller; The RSU controller receives the original protocol data of each ETC array antenna 2, and encapsulates the data and feeds it back to the lane software in accordance with the lane software transmission protocol format; The RSU controller receives the command issued by the lane software, and converts the command and sends it to each ETC array antenna 2; Synchronous control is performed on each ETC array antenna 2 to ensure synchronization of the transaction processes performed by each ETC array antenna 2; The system further comprises a barrier machine 1 located at one end of the ETC antenna, and toll islands 5 are arranged at both ends of a toll lane 4.

[0027] The ETC antenna adopts an array type to form an ETC array antenna 2, and there are two layouts: in the first layout, the ETC antenna is located on both sides of the toll lane 4; in the second layout, the ETC antenna is located at the top of the toll lane 4.

[0028] The first layout ETC antenna is located on both sides of the toll lane 4, such as Figure 1 As shown; An array-type ETC antenna layout is adopted, and multi-channel signal diversity reception technology is used. From one end of the ETC toll lane 4 to the vehicle entrance area between the vehicle barriers, several small omnidirectional ETC antennas are evenly deployed on the toll islands 5 on both sides of the toll lane 4, so that the entire toll lane 4 forms an ETC antenna transaction channel, and the transaction process of each antenna is coordinated through the RSU controller to ensure that signal interference is avoided while expanding the antenna transaction area 3.

[0029] A small omnidirectional ETC antenna with a detection distance of 1 to 6 meters is used. The RF power can be adjusted. By adjusting the angle between the antenna and the toll lane, the capture of the OBU installation position can be improved. When laying out the array ETC antenna, it is necessary to ensure that there is enough distance between each ETC antenna, control the beam coverage and angle of the antenna main lobe, avoid direct interference with each other, and coordinate the timing synchronization and linkage working status of each antenna through a unified RSU controller. A multi-threaded processing method is used to merge and split the data between different antennas to achieve division of labor and cooperation between multiple antennas. ETC transactions are performed on the same vehicle through multiple antennas to avoid transaction failures due to irregular OBU installation positions, weak transaction strength, and excessive vehicle speed, thereby ensuring the one-time success rate of ETC vehicle transactions.

[0030] The second layout ETC antenna is located at the top of toll lane 4, such as Figure 2 As shown; An array-type ETC antenna layout is adopted, and multi-channel signal diversity reception technology is used. Several small omnidirectional ETC antennas are evenly deployed above the toll lane 4 from one end of the ETC toll lane 4 to the vehicle entrance area between the vehicle barriers, so that the entire toll lane 4 forms an ETC antenna transaction channel, and the transaction process of each antenna is coordinated through the RSU controller to ensure that signal interference is avoided while expanding the antenna transaction range.

[0031] A small omnidirectional ETC antenna with a detection distance of 1 to 6 meters is used. The RF power can be adjusted. By adjusting the angle between the antenna and the toll lane, the capture of the OBU installation position can be improved. When laying out the array ETC antenna, it is necessary to ensure that there is enough distance between each ETC antenna, control the beam coverage and angle of the antenna main lobe, avoid direct interference with each other, and coordinate the timing synchronization and linkage working status of each antenna through a unified RSU controller. A multi-threaded processing method is used to merge and split the data between different antennas to achieve division of labor and cooperation between multiple antennas. ETC transactions are performed on the same vehicle through multiple antennas to avoid transaction failures due to irregular OBU installation positions, weak transaction strength, and excessive vehicle speed, thereby ensuring the one-time success rate of ETC vehicle transactions.

[0032] like Figure 4 As shown, the process of an ETC charging control method based on an array antenna mainly involves the connection with the controller, configuration, initialization and processing of ETC transactions, including the following steps (1) Connectivity and configuration: First, multiple ETC antennas need to be connected to a controller through a serial port, router or switch. Then, the relevant information of the connected ETC antennas is configured on the controller, which may include the antenna identification code, operating frequency, communication protocol, etc.

[0033] (2) Initialization: The controller actively establishes a link with each antenna based on the configured antenna information and performs initialization. The initialization process may include setting the antenna's communication parameters, calibrating the antenna's coverage, etc., to ensure that the antenna can work properly and communicate accurately with the controller.

[0034] (3) ETC transaction processing: In Super ETC, timing synchronization technology needs to be implemented to avoid signal conflicts and interference between ETC antennas. If the timing of each ETC antenna transmitting signals is not synchronized, there may be multiple antennas transmitting signals at the same time or the interval between each antenna transmitting signals is insufficient, which will cause the transmitted signals to overlap and collide in space. After receiving such overlapping signals, the OBU cannot successfully resolve them, and thus cannot complete normal transactions with the RSU. Timing synchronization technology ensures that each ETC antenna transmits and receives signals at the appropriate time to avoid signal conflicts and interference.

[0035] Each ETC antenna is always in working condition and sends BST request frames at certain time intervals. When the vehicle enters the super ETC channel, the OBU receives the BST wake-up signal sent by any antenna and feeds back the response signal VST to the antenna. The antenna transmits the received response signal to the RSU controller, which is encapsulated and fed back to the lane software in the lane software transmission protocol format. The lane software sends the continue transaction instruction C1, and the controller sends a synchronization status signal to each connected ETC antenna and processes the transaction process with the OBU at the same time.

[0036] A computer device is provided in one embodiment of the present invention. The computer device of this embodiment includes: a processor, a memory, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the processor executes the computer program, the steps in the above-mentioned method embodiments are implemented. Alternatively, when the processor executes the computer program, the functions of the modules / units in the above-mentioned device embodiments are implemented.

[0037] The computer program may be divided into one or more modules / units, and the one or more modules / units are stored in the memory and executed by the processor to accomplish the present invention.

[0038] The terminal device may be a computing device such as a desktop computer, a notebook, a PDA, a cloud server, etc. The terminal device may include, but is not limited to, a processor and a memory.

[0039] The processor may be a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or other general-purpose processors.

[0040] The memory may be used to store the computer programs and / or modules, and the processor implements various functions of the terminal device by running or executing the computer programs and / or modules stored in the memory and calling the data stored in the memory.

[0041] If the module / unit integrated in the terminal device is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the present invention implements all or part of the processes in the above-mentioned embodiment method, and can also be completed by instructing the relevant hardware through a computer program. The computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When the computer program is executed by the processor, the steps of the above-mentioned various method embodiments can be implemented. Among them, the computer program includes computer program code, and the computer program code can be in source code form, object code form, executable file or some intermediate form. The computer-readable medium may include: any entity or device capable of carrying the computer program code, recording medium, U disk, mobile hard disk, disk, optical disk, computer memory, read-only memory (ROM, Read-Only Memory), random access memory (RAM, Random Access Memory), electric carrier signal, telecommunication signal and software distribution medium. It should be noted that the content contained in the computer-readable medium can be appropriately increased or decreased according to the requirements of legislation and patent practice in the jurisdiction. For example, in some jurisdictions, according to legislation and patent practice, computer-readable media do not include electric carrier signals and telecommunication signals.

[0042] Therefore, the present invention adopts the above-mentioned ETC toll control system, method and computer equipment based on array antenna, and effectively improves the fault tolerance rate of transactions by realizing continuous transactions of ETC vehicles in the lane. At the same time, by improving the one-time pass rate of the ETC lane, it ensures that ETC vehicles can pass smoothly and realize that all vehicles that should pass can pass. In addition, the present invention improves the traffic efficiency, reduces the waiting time of vehicles at toll stations, and realizes the non-stop passage of ETC vehicles, thereby effectively alleviating traffic congestion and improving road use efficiency.

[0043] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solution of the present invention rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify or replace the technical solution of the present invention with equivalents, and these modifications or equivalent replacements cannot cause the modified technical solution to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. An ETC toll control system based on array antenna, characterized in that: Includes ETC antenna, RSU controller and lane software; The ETC antenna is used to communicate with the on-board unit OBU, receive instructions from the RSU controller, and forward these instructions to the OBU; at the same time, the ETC antenna is also used to receive responses from the OBU and transmit these responses back to the RSU controller; The RSU controller is used to receive the original protocol data of each ETC antenna, and then encapsulate the data and feed it back to the lane software in accordance with the lane software transmission protocol format; The RSU controller is also used to receive commands issued by the lane software, and convert the commands and send them to each ETC antenna; The RSU controller is also used to synchronize and control each ETC antenna to ensure that the transaction processes performed by each ETC antenna are synchronized; The ETC antenna adopts an array type, and there are two layouts: the first layout has the ETC antenna located on both sides of the lane; the second layout has the ETC antenna located at the top of the lane.

2. The ETC toll control system based on array antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ETC antenna uses a small omnidirectional antenna with a detection distance of 1 to 6 meters.

3. The ETC toll collection control system based on array antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ETC antenna has the function of adjusting the RF power. By adjusting the angle between the antenna and the lane, the capture of the OBU installation position is improved.

4. The ETC toll collection control system based on array antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: There are multiple ETC antennas, and a distance is set between the ETC antennas to control the beam coverage and angle of the antenna main lobe to avoid direct interference between them.

5. The ETC toll collection control system based on array antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The RSU controller coordinates the timing synchronization and linkage working status of each ETC antenna, and adopts multi-threaded processing to merge and split the data between different antennas, so as to achieve division of labor and cooperation among multiple antennas, and conduct ETC transactions on the same vehicle through multiple ETC antennas, ensuring the one-time success rate of ETC vehicle transactions.

6. The ETC toll collection control system based on array antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The frequencies or channels of the ETC antennas are different.

7. An ETC charging control method based on array antenna, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Connect multiple ETC antennas to an RSU controller, and then configure the relevant information of the connected ETC antennas to the RSU controller, including the identification code, operating frequency, and communication protocol of the ETC antenna; The RSU controller actively establishes a link with each ETC antenna based on the relevant information configured, and performs initialization. The initialization process includes setting the communication parameters of the antenna and calibrating the coverage of the antenna. Timing synchronization is used to ensure that each ETC antenna transmits and receives signals at a fixed time point to avoid signal conflicts and interference; Each ETC antenna always keeps working and sends BST request frames at fixed time intervals; When a vehicle enters the Super ETC channel, the OBU receives a BST wake-up signal from any ETC antenna and then feeds back a VST response signal. The ETC antenna that receives the VST response signal transmits the signal to the RSU controller, which encapsulates the signal and feeds it back to the lane software in accordance with the lane software transmission protocol format; The lane software sends the continue transaction instruction C1, and the RSU controller sends a synchronization status signal to each ETC antenna and processes the transaction process with the OBU at the same time.

8. A computer device comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, characterized in that: When the processor executes the computer program, the steps of the method according to claim 7 are implemented.

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