UHF Beacon Diffraction for Shadowed Vehicle Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current driving safety support systems (DSSS) fail to provide traffic information to vehicles located in the shadow of large-sized vehicles or at distances separated from intersections, limiting the effectiveness of driving safety support services.
Innovation Solution
The system employs a UHF beacon unit that utilizes diffraction wave properties to transmit traffic information to in-vehicle units, even in shadowed regions, and leverages propagation loss characteristics to distribute information across different zones based on distance from the beacon, ensuring coverage beyond the reach of DSRC beacons.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If DSRC beacon units are used to transmit traffic information, then communication reliability is improved, but coverage area is limited and vehicles in shadow regions cannot receive information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines DSRC beacon units and UHF beacon units into a hybrid system. The DSRC units provide reliable communication for vehicles with good line-of-sight, while UHF units supplement coverage for vehicles in shadow regions. The in-vehicle unit can switch between or combine signals from both types of beacons, merging the advantages of both systems to achieve both reliability and extended coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
UHF beacon units act as intermediaries to extend coverage to shadow regions. The UHF waves with lower frequencies can diffract around obstacles and penetrate building structures, serving as a mediator to deliver traffic information to vehicles that cannot directly receive DSRC signals, thus expanding the overall coverage area while maintaining system reliability.
2Area of stationary object
If transmission power is increased to extend coverage, then coverage area is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the frequency parameter of the transmitted waves by introducing UHF beacon units that operate at lower frequencies than DSRC. This parameter change allows the waves to propagate differently (with better diffraction and penetration characteristics), extending coverage area without requiring proportional increases in transmission power, thus avoiding excessive energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The in-vehicle unit dynamically selects or switches between receiving signals from DSRC beacon units and UHF beacon units based on the vehicle's location and reception conditions. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to extend coverage to shadow regions without continuously operating all beacon units at maximum power, thereby managing energy consumption efficiently while maintaining extended coverage.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enables the provision of traffic information to vehicles in shadowed areas and those located far from intersections, enhancing the reach and effectiveness of driving safety support services by using UHF waves for diffraction and propagation loss characteristics.
Implementation Method 1
The system employs a UHF beacon unit that utilizes diffraction wave properties to transmit traffic information to in-vehicle units, even in shadowed regions
Implementation Method 2
leverages propagation loss characteristics to distribute information across different zones based on distance from the beacon
Data Source
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AI summary
Traffic information is provided to an in-vehicle unit of a vehicle located in a shadow portion of a large-sized vehicle and to an in-vehicle unit of a vehicle at a location separated from an intersection (193). A UHF beacon unit (112) is installed at the intersection (193), thereby distributing the traffic information using UHF beacon signal haying a diffraction characteristic. This arrangement can allow the in-vehicle unit of the vehicle located in the shadow portion of the large-sized vehicle as well to receive the traffic information. Further, since the UHF signal propagates far, this arrangement can allow the in-vehicle unit of the vehicle at the location separated from the intersection (193) as well to receive the traffic information. The UHF beacon unit (112) transmits, to a plurality of concentric zones, UHF beacon signals with different traffic information set therein for the different zones, by time division. At this time, the UHF beacon unit (112) transmits the UHF beacon signals with the different traffic information set therein, with different transmission output powers.