Multi-lane intelligent ETC device

Abstract

The application discloses a multi-lane intelligent ETC device, which comprises a shell and a signal module installed in the shell, wherein the signal module comprises an aluminum plate support and an antenna layer; the aluminum plate support has opposite first and second surfaces; the first surface is provided with a signal processing assembly and a power amplification assembly; the second surface is provided with a control assembly; the aluminum plate support is used for bearing the signal processing assembly, the power amplification assembly and the control assembly, and provides a heat dissipation path for the power amplification assembly, and meanwhile forms physical isolation and electromagnetic shielding between the first and second surfaces; the application bears the signal processing assembly, the power amplification assembly and the control assembly through the aluminum plate support, provides a heat dissipation path for the power amplification assembly, and forms physical isolation and electromagnetic shielding between the first and second surfaces, thereby solving the problems of low heat dissipation efficiency and serious signal interference in the prior art, and the ETC device provided by the application has compact structure and high reliability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of intelligent transportation technology, specifically to a multi-lane intelligent ETC device. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the application of ETC is not limited to highway toll collection. With the increasing maturity of the technology, ETC is expanding its application scenarios from highways to various aspects of urban services. As a result, the number of ETC users has increased rapidly.

[0003] Existing ETC devices are mostly used at highway toll stations, where dedicated ETC lanes strictly adhere to a one-vehicle-one-lane-one-gate rule. Vehicles queue in an orderly fashion, spaced a few meters apart, passing through the toll station at speeds not exceeding 20 km / h, while simultaneously completing the transaction. However, in cities, where roads typically have one to three lanes in each direction, the sheer number of vehicles compared to highway toll stations is much greater and more chaotic. A large number of vehicles using ETC are mixed with those without, and their speeds are erratic, ranging from 0 to 80 km / h. Consequently, traditional ETC devices used on highways often fail to quickly and accurately identify ETC-equipped vehicles, making them completely unsuitable for urban environments.

[0004] Meanwhile, existing ETC devices are often limited by internal casing space during design, resulting in lower power output due to the confined space and poor heat dissipation. Heat buildup inside the casing can cause electronic components to degrade or even fail due to overheating. Furthermore, the limited internal space makes it easy for radio frequency signals from the antenna and digital signals from the control motherboard to cross paths, causing mutual interference. This crosstalk can lead to increased communication error rates, transaction failures, and even system crashes.

[0005] Therefore, how to design ETC devices for identifying vehicles on city roads has become a pressing technical problem. Utility Model Content

[0006] In view of the above problems, this application provides a multi-lane intelligent ETC device to solve the problems of low heat dissipation efficiency and severe signal interference in the prior art. The ETC device provided in this application is compact and highly reliable.

[0007] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, this application provides a multi-lane intelligent ETC device, including a housing and a signal module installed inside the housing, the signal module including an aluminum plate bracket and an antenna layer;

[0008] The aluminum plate bracket has a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other; a signal processing component and a power amplification component are mounted on the first surface; a control component is mounted on the second surface.

[0009] The signal processing component is used to generate the radio frequency signal to be transmitted, modulate and encode it, process the received radio frequency signal and demodulate and decode it, and execute the communication protocol and security authentication process with the vehicle unit.

[0010] The power amplification component is connected to the signal processing component and is used to amplify the power of the radio frequency signal to be transmitted generated by the signal processing component in order to achieve the preset transmission power requirement.

[0011] The control component is communicatively connected to the signal processing component and is used to receive transaction data and generate control commands to manipulate external execution devices.

[0012] The antenna layer is connected to the power amplifier component and is used to radiate amplified radio frequency signals and receive radio frequency signals from the vehicle unit.

[0013] The aluminum plate bracket is used to support the signal processing component, power amplification component and control component, and provides a heat dissipation path for the power amplification component, while forming physical isolation and electromagnetic shielding between the first surface and the second surface.

[0014] Preferably, the power amplification component includes a high-power amplifier board with a bare gold-plated layer on its back and is in close contact with the first surface of the aluminum plate bracket through thermal grease.

[0015] Preferably, the lightning protection grounding terminal of the signal processing component and the grounding terminal of the control component are both directly connected to the aluminum plate bracket via conductive screws.

[0016] Preferably, the control component is surrounded by conductive foam to form an electromagnetic shielding layer; the electromagnetic shielding layer is tightly attached to the second surface of the aluminum plate bracket.

[0017] Preferably, an insulating shielding pad is provided between the antenna layer and the first surface of the aluminum plate bracket.

[0018] Preferably, a metal shielding partition is provided between the signal processing component and the power amplification component, and the metal shielding partition is connected to the aluminum plate support.

[0019] Preferably, the aluminum plate support is provided with a plurality of through slots; the through slots are fixed to the housing by fixing bolts, and the opening of the through slots faces the outside of the housing; wherein, the inner wall of the through slots is attached with rubber strips to absorb the impact force from the aluminum plate support.

[0020] Preferably, the control component is an embedded motherboard running the Android system.

[0021] Preferably, the signal processing component is an RSU motherboard.

[0022] Preferably, the antenna layer includes a 5.8 GHz flat panel antenna for covering multiple lanes.

[0023] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this application are as follows:

[0024] First, by mounting the signal processing component and the power amplification component on the first surface of the aluminum plate bracket, and the control component on the second surface, this application utilizes the physical isolation and electromagnetic shielding formed between the first and second surfaces of the aluminum plate bracket to effectively avoid mutual interference between radio frequency signals and digital signals, significantly improve the stability and reliability of communication, and reduce the bit error rate and transaction failure rate.

[0025] Secondly, the aluminum plate bracket in this application, serving as the core load-bearing structure, not only supports the main electronic components but, more importantly, provides an efficient heat dissipation path for the power amplifier components. The excellent thermal conductivity of aluminum, combined with its large surface area, allows for rapid conduction and dissipation of heat generated by the power amplifier components. This effectively solves the problem of poor heat dissipation caused by limited space in traditional ETC equipment, ensuring the stability and reliability of the equipment under prolonged high-power operation and extending the lifespan of electronic components.

[0026] Third, by optimizing the internal structural layout and introducing the isolation and shielding function of the aluminum plate bracket, this application enables the ETC device to operate stably with higher power. Combined with the multi-lane antenna layer, it can effectively cover a wider recognition area, thereby adapting to the traffic environment of multiple lanes and complex vehicle speeds in the city and improving the accuracy and efficiency of vehicle recognition.

[0027] Fourth, through the physical isolation and electromagnetic shielding of the aluminum plate bracket, as well as the further shielding and grounding design in subsequent embodiments, this invention significantly improves the electromagnetic compatibility and electromagnetic interference suppression capability of the entire device, ensuring the normal operation of the equipment in complex electromagnetic environments.

[0028] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of this application. In order to better understand the technical means of this application and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of this application more obvious and understandable, the following are specific embodiments of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same parts throughout the drawings. In the drawings:

[0030] Figure 1 This is an exploded view of a multi-lane intelligent ETC device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 2 This is a system architecture diagram according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0032] The attached icons are numbered as follows:

[0033] 100. Housing; 210. Aluminum plate bracket; 220. Antenna layer; 230. Signal processing component; 240. Power amplifier component; 250. Control component. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The embodiments of the technical solution of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of this application and are therefore merely examples, and should not be used to limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0035] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains; the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the application; the terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, in the specification, claims, and foregoing description of the drawings are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0036] In the description of the embodiments of this application, technical terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish different objects and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number, specific order, or primary and secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly defined.

[0037] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0038] In the description of the embodiments in this application, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent three cases: A exists, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists. In addition, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the related objects before and after it have an "or" relationship.

[0039] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the term "multiple" refers to two or more (including two), similarly, "multiple sets" refers to two or more (including two sets), and "multiple pieces" refers to two or more (including two pieces).

[0040] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the technical terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of this application and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the embodiments of this application.

[0041] In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, technical terms such as "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0042] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention. Example

[0043] Please see Figures 1 to 2 The present invention provides a multi-lane intelligent ETC device, including a housing 100 and a signal module installed inside the housing 100.

[0044] The signal module is the core component of this device, and its design aims to solve the problems of recognition accuracy, heat dissipation, and electromagnetic interference of existing ETC devices in urban multi-lane environments. The signal module includes an aluminum plate bracket 210 and an antenna layer 220 that cooperates with it.

[0045] The aluminum plate bracket 210 is a key structural component of this invention, having opposing first and second surfaces. This double-sided design is the basis for achieving physical isolation and electromagnetic shielding. Specifically, the signal processing component 230 and the power amplification component 240 are mounted on the first surface. The control component 250 is mounted on the second surface. By mounting the radio frequency related components (signal processing component 230, power amplification component 240) and the digital processing related components (control component 250) on different surfaces of the aluminum plate bracket 210, and utilizing the metallic properties of the aluminum plate bracket 210, effective physical isolation and electromagnetic shielding are formed between the first and second surfaces. This isolation significantly reduces interference between radio frequency signals and digital signals, thereby improving the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and operational stability of the entire device.

[0046] The signal processing component 230 is the core of the device's radio frequency front-end. Its functions include generating radio frequency signals to be transmitted, modulating and encoding the radio frequency signals for transmission through the antenna layer 220, and processing the received radio frequency signals from the on-board unit (OBU) to demodulate and decode them to extract valid data. Furthermore, the signal processing component 230 is responsible for executing communication protocols and security authentication processes with the OBU to ensure the security and legitimacy of transaction data.

[0047] The power amplifier component 240 is electrically connected to the signal processing component 230. Its main function is to amplify the radio frequency signal to be transmitted generated by the signal processing component 230 to achieve the preset transmission power requirement. In urban multi-lane environments, higher transmission power is usually required to achieve a wider recognition range and higher recognition rate. The stable and efficient operation of the power amplifier component 240 is key to achieving this goal.

[0048] The control component 250 is communicatively connected to the signal processing component 230. The control component 250 is the intelligent control center of the device; it is responsible for receiving transaction data from the signal processing component 230 and generating corresponding control commands based on this data to operate external execution devices, such as gate barriers and displays. The control component 250 is typically an embedded system responsible for the logic control and data management of the entire device.

[0049] The antenna layer 220 is connected to the power amplifier component 240. The antenna layer 220 is the interface for wireless communication between the device and the vehicle unit. It is responsible for radiating the radio frequency signal amplified by the power amplifier component 240 to form electromagnetic waves for the vehicle unit to receive; at the same time, it is also responsible for receiving the radio frequency signal from the vehicle unit and transmitting it to the signal processing component 230 for processing.

[0050] In addition to providing physical isolation and electromagnetic shielding, the aluminum plate bracket 210 also plays a crucial role in heat dissipation. Aluminum has excellent thermal conductivity, allowing the bracket 210 to effectively support the signal processing component 230, power amplifier component 240, and control component 250. More importantly, it provides an efficient heat dissipation path for the power amplifier component 240. The power amplifier component 240 generates a significant amount of heat during operation, which is rapidly conducted and dissipated through the aluminum plate bracket 210, effectively preventing performance degradation or even damage caused by overheating, thus ensuring the long-term stable operation and reliability of the device. Example

[0051] Based on Embodiment 1, this embodiment further optimizes the heat dissipation performance of the power amplifier component and the electromagnetic compatibility of the device.

[0052] Specifically, the power amplifier assembly 240 includes a high-power amplifier board with a bare gold-plated layer on its back. This bare gold-plated layer is in close contact with the first surface of the aluminum plate support 210 via thermal grease. The gold-plated layer has excellent thermal conductivity and oxidation resistance, ensuring efficient heat transfer from the high-power amplifier board to the thermal grease. The thermal grease fills the tiny gaps between the amplifier board and the aluminum plate support 210, further reducing thermal resistance and ensuring that heat can be conducted to the aluminum plate support 210 to the maximum extent, thereby achieving more efficient heat dissipation and ensuring the stability of the high-power amplifier board under long-term high-power operation.

[0053] Meanwhile, the lightning protection grounding terminal of the signal processing component 230 and the grounding terminal of the control component 250 are both directly connected to the aluminum plate bracket 210 via conductive screws. This direct grounding method utilizes the good conductivity of the aluminum plate bracket 210, providing a low-impedance grounding path for sensitive electronic components. Both components share the aluminum plate bracket 210 as a grounding carrier, achieving integration of the grounding system, simplifying the grounding structure design, and improving the reliability and consistency of the overall circuit grounding. This effectively suppresses common-mode noise and radio frequency interference, further enhancing the electromagnetic compatibility of the device.

[0054] In addition, the control component 250 is surrounded by conductive foam to form an electromagnetic shielding layer. This electromagnetic shielding layer is tightly bonded to the second surface of the aluminum plate support 210. As a digital signal processing center, the control component 250 generates strong electromagnetic radiation during operation. By forming a shielding layer with conductive foam that is in close contact with the aluminum plate support 210, the electromagnetic radiation generated by the control component 250 can be effectively confined within the shielding layer, preventing it from interfering with external radio frequency signals. Simultaneously, it also prevents external electromagnetic interference from entering the control component 250, further enhancing the device's electromagnetic compatibility.

[0055] An insulating shielding pad is disposed between the antenna layer 220 and the first surface of the aluminum plate support 210. When radiating and receiving radio frequency signals, the antenna layer 220 may experience unnecessary capacitive coupling or short-circuit risks with the aluminum plate support 210. The insulating shielding pad provides electrical insulation, and its shielding function further optimizes the radiation characteristics of the antenna layer 220, reduces back radiation, and prevents unnecessary electromagnetic coupling between the antenna layer 220 and the aluminum plate support 210, thereby improving antenna efficiency and signal quality.

[0056] Preferably, a metal shielding partition is provided between the signal processing component 230 and the power amplification component 240, and the metal shielding partition is connected to the aluminum plate bracket 210. Although the aluminum plate bracket 210 provides overall isolation, mutual interference may still exist between the signal processing component 230 and the power amplification component 240 on the same surface because both process radio frequency signals and have significantly different power levels. The metal shielding partition further isolates these two components, particularly preventing the high-power radio frequency signals of the power amplification component 240 from interfering with the sensitive circuitry of the signal processing component 230, ensuring the purity and accuracy of signal processing.

[0057] Furthermore, multiple through slots are provided on the aluminum plate bracket 210. These through slots are fixed to the housing 100 by bolts, and the openings of the through slots face outwards from the housing 100. This design makes installation and maintenance of the device more convenient. Rubber strips are attached to the inner walls of the through slots to absorb impact forces from the aluminum plate bracket 210. These rubber strips have excellent shock absorption and cushioning properties, effectively absorbing the impact forces generated by passing vehicles or external environmental vibrations, protecting the internal precision electronic components from mechanical stress damage, and improving the durability and reliability of the device. Example

[0058] Based on Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 2, this embodiment further clarifies the specific types of key components in order to optimize the performance of the device.

[0059] Specifically, the control component 250 is a motherboard running the Android system. Using Android as the operating system for the control component 250 allows for more flexible functional expansion, a more user-friendly interface, and more convenient remote management and upgrades, leveraging its rich ecosystem and powerful software development capabilities. The embedded motherboard ensures a compact size and low power consumption, making it ideal for integration into ETC devices.

[0060] The signal processing component 230 is an RSU motherboard. The RSU (Roadside Unit) motherboard is specifically designed for roadside equipment in intelligent transportation systems, featuring highly integrated radio frequency processing, communication protocol stacks, and security authentication functions. Using the RSU motherboard as the signal processing component 230 ensures standardized, efficient, and compatible communication between the device and the on-board unit (OBU), meeting the stringent communication performance requirements of the ETC system.

[0061] The antenna layer 220 includes a 5.8 GHz flat panel antenna for covering multiple lanes. The 5.8 GHz band is a commonly used operating frequency band for ETC systems, offering good penetration and anti-interference capabilities. The flat panel antenna design allows for a smaller size and higher gain, and through optimized antenna array design, effective coverage of multiple lanes can be achieved, thus meeting the need for simultaneous identification of multiple vehicles in urban multi-lane environments and significantly improving identification efficiency and accuracy.

[0062] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and not to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. These modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and they should all be covered within the scope of the claims and specification of this application. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the various technical features mentioned in the embodiments can be combined in any way. This application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions falling within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A multi-lane intelligent ETC device comprising a housing and a signal module installed inside the housing, characterized in that, The signal module includes an aluminum plate support and an antenna layer; The aluminum plate bracket has a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other; a signal processing component and a power amplification component are mounted on the first surface; a control component is mounted on the second surface. The signal processing component is used to generate the radio frequency signal to be transmitted, modulate and encode it, process the received radio frequency signal and demodulate and decode it, and execute the communication protocol and security authentication process with the vehicle unit. The power amplification component is connected to the signal processing component and is used to amplify the power of the radio frequency signal to be transmitted generated by the signal processing component in order to achieve the preset transmission power requirement. The control component is communicatively connected to the signal processing component and is used to receive transaction data and generate control commands to manipulate external execution devices. The antenna layer is connected to the power amplifier component and is used to radiate amplified radio frequency signals and receive radio frequency signals from the vehicle unit. The aluminum plate bracket is used to support the signal processing component, power amplification component and control component, and provides a heat dissipation path for the power amplification component, while forming physical isolation and electromagnetic shielding between the first surface and the second surface.

2. The multi-lane intelligent ETC device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The power amplification component includes a high-power amplifier board with a bare gold-plated layer on its back and is in close contact with the first surface of the aluminum plate bracket through thermal grease.

3. The multi-lane intelligent ETC device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lightning protection grounding terminal of the signal processing component and the grounding terminal of the control component are both directly connected to the aluminum plate bracket via conductive screws.

4. The multi-lane intelligent ETC device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control component is surrounded by conductive foam to form an electromagnetic shielding layer; the electromagnetic shielding layer is tightly attached to the second surface of the aluminum plate bracket.

5. The multi-lane intelligent ETC device according to claim 1, characterized in that, An insulating shielding pad is provided between the antenna layer and the first surface of the aluminum plate bracket.

6. The multi-lane intelligent ETC device according to claim 1, characterized in that, A metal shielding partition is provided between the signal processing component and the power amplification component, and the metal shielding partition is connected to the aluminum plate support.

7. The multi-lane intelligent ETC device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The aluminum plate support is provided with multiple through slots; the through slots are fixed to the housing by fixing bolts, and the opening of the through slots faces the outside of the housing; wherein, the inner wall of the through slots is attached with rubber strips to absorb the impact force from the aluminum plate support.

8. The multi-lane intelligent ETC device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control component is an embedded motherboard running the Android system.

9. The multi-lane intelligent ETC device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The signal processing component is an RSU motherboard.

10. The multi-lane intelligent ETC device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The antenna layer includes a 5.8 GHz flat panel antenna for covering multiple lanes.

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