Room mirror removal monitoring device with electronic toll collection function

Provided is a room mirror removal monitoring device with an electronic toll collection (ETC) function. The room mirror removal monitoring device includes a room mirror holder to which a room mirror having the ETC function is fixed and in which an insertion recess is formed toward windshield glass, a removal switch inserted into the insertion recess, a mirror base inserted into a region that does not overlap with the removal switch in the insertion recess and fixed to the windshield glass, and a monitoring part configured to monitor a removal state of the room mirror having the ETC function.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0057392, filed on May 13, 2020, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a room mirror removal monitoring device with an electronic toll collection function, and more particularly, to a room mirror removal monitoring device with an electronic toll collection function in which a removal switch is mounted to satisfy protective dismantlement requirements defined in an electronic toll collection standard, and thus damage caused by theft and illegal use can be prevented in advance.

Discussion of Related Art

In general, an electronic payment service is a service that collects and processes a usage fee or toll using electronic money in order to solve a delay based on transportation-related fare payment, inconvenience of a user based on the transportation-related fare payment, and inefficiency of a toll collection service and may be classified into a toll electronic payment service, a public transportation fare electronic payment service, a transportation facility toll electronic payment service, and so on.

An electronic toll collection system (ETCS) is a device for providing the toll electronic payment service at, for instance, a tollgate, and includes a road side unit (RSU) installed on the tollgate and an on-board unit (OBU) mounted on a vehicle.

The OBU may be mounted on the vehicle in various types, and a room mirror type, in which the OBU is usually mounted in a room mirror and which has an ETC function, is widely used.

Usually, the room mirror having the ETC function is basically mounted on a vehicle in a vehicle producing process, and then is delivered.

This OBU may be classified into a before market-purpose OBU that is mounted and used in a vehicle in advance before the vehicle is delivered and an after market-purpose OBU that is separately bought at a market and is mounted after the vehicle is delivered.

However, in conventional Chinese ETC OBUs, an anti-removal switch is provided to only the after market-purpose OBU and is not provided to the before market-purpose OBU. Thus, development of the anti-removal switch for the before market-purpose OBU is required.

That is, to satisfy protective dismantlement requirements defined in the Chinese ETC standard, it is necessary to mount a removal switch for the purpose of preventing theft of an ETC OBU and intercept damage caused by theft and illegal use in advance. The before market-purpose OBU should be built in a room mirror, and thus there is a problem in that the mounting of the removal switch is difficult.

To solve this problem, conventionally, a separate removal switch is applied to a room mirror holder structure on which a room mirror in which an OBU is built is held, to monitor whether or not the room mirror is removed.

Specifically, the conventional room mirror holder structure is coupled with the room mirror in which the OBU is built and is fixed in a vehicle.

This room mirror holder structure is made up of a room mirror holder constituting a body, and a mirror base to which the room mirror is fixed.

In addition, a contact member that serves as a switch in contact with the mirror base is provided on the room mirror holder, and the mirror base is coupled to the room mirror holder with the contact member physically pressed in the state in which the mirror is fixed normally.

In this case, when the mirror base to which the room mirror is fixed is abnormally removed, the contact member is separated from the mirror base, and thus physical contact between the room mirror holder and the room mirror in which the OBU is built is released, by which the removal of the room mirror is monitored.

However, the contact member based on the physical contact as described above has a problem in which vibration inevitably generated during driving in view of characteristics of the vehicle is repetitively transmitted thereto, and the physical contact member is damaged.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is directed to providing a room mirror removal monitoring device with an electronic toll collection (ETC) function, in which protective dismantlement requirements defined in the Chinese ETC standard are satisfied, and at a vehicle in which a before market-purpose on-board unit (OBU) is installed, it is possible to prevent illegal use by installing the OBU in another vehicle.

A room mirror removal monitoring device with an electronic toll collection (ETC) function according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a room mirror holder to which a room mirror having the ETC function is fixed and in which an insertion recess is formed toward windshield glass, a removal switch inserted into the insertion recess, a mirror base inserted into a region that does not overlap the removal switch in the insertion recess and fixed to the windshield glass, and a monitoring part configured to monitor a removal state of the room mirror having the ETC function.

The monitoring part may include a base segment housed in the removal switch, a movable segment housed in a region that does not overlap the base segment in the removal switch, a cable connected to the base segment and the movable segment and configured to transmit whether the base segment and the movable segment are put in a first state or a second state to an OBU printed circuit board (PCB), and a first magnetic body disposed inside the mirror base and configured to pull the movable segment toward the base segment.

The base segment and the movable segment may be formed of a metal material.

The monitoring part may be put in the first state in which the movable segment is bent toward the base segment by a magnetic force of the first magnetic body when the mirror base is disposed close to the removal switch, and the second state in which the movable segment is elastically restored to release connection with the base segment when the mirror base is removed from the room mirror holder.

The monitoring part may further include a second magnetic body disposed inside the removal switch and configured to pull the movable segment in a direction opposite to the base segment.

A magnetic force of the second magnetic body may be weaker than that of the first magnetic body.

The monitoring part may be put in the first state in which the movable segment is bent toward the base segment by a magnetic force of the first magnetic body when the mirror base is disposed close to the removal switch, and the second state in which the movable segment releases connection with the base segment while being bent in the direction opposite to the base segment by a magnetic force of the second magnetic body when the mirror base is removed from the room mirror holder.

The monitoring part may further include a contact member provided on a lower surface of the removal switch and pressed by the mirror base.

The contact member may be put in the first state in which the mirror base presses the contact member and the movable segment is bent toward the base segment by a magnetic force of the first magnetic body when the mirror base is disposed close to the removal switch, and the second state in which the pressing of the contact member is released from the mirror base and the movable segment is elastically restored to release connection with the base segment when the mirror base is removed from the room mirror holder.

The room mirror removal monitoring device with an ETC function according to the present invention has an effect that can prevent a malfunction caused by damage of a mechanical monitoring part without physical contact of a monitoring part for monitoring that a room mirror having the ETC function is removed from a vehicle.

The room mirror removal monitoring device has an effect that can reduce a manufacturing cost thereof.

The room mirror removal monitoring device has an effect that can be adjusted in various shapes and sizes according to a layout of the periphery on which the monitoring device is mounted.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Advantages and features of the present invention and methods for achieving them will be made clear from embodiments described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of the present invention to those of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention pertains. The present invention is defined by the claims. Meanwhile, terms used herein are for the purpose of describing the embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. As used herein, the singular forms include the plural forms as well unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The term “comprise” or “comprising” used herein does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other elements, steps, operations, and/or devices other than stated elements, steps, operations, and/or devices.

FIG.1is a schematic view illustrating a general ETC system applied to the present invention,FIG.2is a schematic view illustrating a whole configuration of an OBU to which the present invention is applied,FIG.3is a perspective view illustrating a room mirror removal monitoring device with an ETC function according to an embodiment of the present invention,FIG.4is a side view illustrating a room mirror removal monitoring device with an ETC function according to an embodiment of the present invention,FIGS.5A and5Bis a schematic view illustrating a monitoring part of the room mirror removal monitoring device with an ETC function according to an embodiment of the present invention,FIGS.6A and6Bis a schematic view illustrating a monitoring part of a room mirror removal monitoring device with an ETC function according to another embodiment of the present invention, andFIGS.7A and7Bis a schematic view illustrating a monitoring part of a room mirror removal monitoring device with an ETC function according to yet another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG.1is a schematic view illustrating a general ETC system applied to the present invention.

As illustrated inFIG.1, the electronic toll collection (ETC) system applied to the present invention is made up of an on-board unit (OBU)100, a road side unit (RSU)200that is installed on a structure of an ETC roadway, a computer310that is installed in a monitoring room and is connected to a dedicated network302, an information display320, and a roadway boom barrier330, and automatically collects a toll.

Referring toFIG.1, the RSU200and the OBU100communicate with each other over a radio frequency band of 5.8 GHz band according to a DSRC communication protocol, and the computer310installed in the monitoring room is connected with the RSU200by a LAN, is connected with a financial network internet data center through the dedicated network302, processes toll payment, displays various pieces of information on the information display320, and controls the roadway boom barrier330.

In this way, a communication procedure or an electronic payment procedure between the RSU200and the OBU100is processed according to prescribed ETC standard procedures, and thus a more detailed description thereof will be omitted.

FIG.2is a schematic view illustrating a whole configuration of an OBU to which the present invention is applied.

The OBU100to which the present invention is applied is a structure that is built in a room mirror of a vehicle and is made up of, as illustrated inFIG.2, a central processing unit (CPU) & dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) modem102, a radio frequency (RF) part104, an antenna106, an audio digital-to-analog converter (DAC)108, a speaker110, a light-emitting diode (LED)116, a button118, a card socket120, a card122, and so on.

Further, the room mirror removal monitoring device with an ETC function according to the present invention is made up of a battery124for supplying power for the purpose of a removal operation even in a removal state in which power of a vehicle is interrupted, a monitoring part150for monitoring that an ETC room mirror is removed from the vehicle, a removal logic126for interfacing a removal state signal of the monitoring part150with a CPU, an embedded security application module (ESAM)112, and a memory114.

Referring toFIGS.3to7, a room mirror which has an ETC function and to which the present invention is applied is mounted through the room mirror removal monitoring device attached to windshield glass300of a vehicle, and includes a room mirror holder400, a removal switch130, a mirror base140, and the monitoring part150.

The room mirror holder400fixes the room mirror having the ETC function to the windshield glass300of the vehicle and prevents the room mirror from being removed from the vehicle.

Further, the room mirror holder400monitors that the room mirror having the ETC function is abnormally removed from the vehicle.

An insertion recess410is formed in the room mirror holder400in a direction in which the windshield glass300is disposed.

The removal switch130is fitted and mounted in the insertion recess410of the room mirror holder400.

Some components constituting the monitoring part150are inserted into the removal switch130.

In the drawings, one side of the removal switch130and one side of the insertion recess410are shown to have a round shape, but the present invention is not limited thereto, the one sides may be formed in various shapes such as a triangular shape, a quadrilateral shape, and an indefinite shape as long as the removal switch130can be mounted in the insertion recess410.

The mirror base140is fitted and mounted in the insertion recess410of the room mirror holder400along with the removal switch130.

When the mirror base140is fitted in the insertion recess410, the mirror base140is fitted in a region where the mirror base140does not overlap the removal switch130and may be mounted at a position close to the removal switch130below the removal switch130.

As illustrated inFIG.4, the mirror base140is fixed in contact with the windshield glass300.

Therefore, the mirror base140is mounted on the room mirror holder400in which the room mirror is held and is fixed in contact with the windshield glass300, and thus the room mirror can be firmly fixed to the windshield glass300.

Further, some components constituting the monitoring part150are inserted into the mirror base140.

The monitoring part150is housed inside the removal switch130and the mirror base140and monitors the removal of the room mirror that is held on the room mirror holder400and has the ETC function.

The monitoring part150includes a base segment151, a movable segment152, a cable153, and a first magnetic body154.

The base segment151and the movable segment152are formed of a metal material and are housed inside the removal switch130.

The base segment151and the movable segment152are formed in a shape overlapping each other, wherein the movable segment152is fixed to be bent inside the removal switch130according to a first state (a closed state) or a second state (an open state), and the base segment151is firmly fixed without being bent inside the removal switch130.

That is, the movable segment152comes into contact with the base segment151while being bent toward the base segment151and is put in the first state (the closed state), or the movable segment152is elastically restored, is separated from the base segment151, and is put in the second state (the open state).

The cable153is housed inside the removal switch130and is connected to the base segment151and the movable segment152.

The cable153transmits a voltage or current to an OBU printed circuit board (PCB) depending on whether the state is the first state or the second state caused by the base segment151and the movable segment152.

The first magnetic body154is housed inside the mirror base140so as to be close to a direction in which the removal switch130is disposed.

When the mirror base140is disposed close to the removal switch130, the first magnetic body154pulls the movable segment152, which is housed inside the removal switch130, toward the base segment151using a magnetic force.

Therefore, the first magnetic body154pulls the movable segment152toward the base segment151, and thus the movable segment152comes into contact with the base segment151while being bent toward the base segment151, and is put in the first state (the closed state).

Specifically, when the first magnetic body154according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted in the insertion recess410of the room mirror holder400in a state in which the mirror base140is in close contact with the removal switch130as illustrated inFIG.5A, the movable segment152housed inside the removal switch130comes into contact with the base segment151while being bent toward the base segment151by a magnetic force of the first magnetic body154housed inside the mirror base140, thereby maintaining the first state (the closed state).

Here, the first state is a state in which the mirror base140is normally mounted on the room mirror holder400and the room mirror having the ETC function is normally fixed to the windshield glass300.

As illustrated inFIG.5B, when the mirror base140is abnormally removed from the room mirror holder400on which the room mirror having the ETC function is mounted, an influence of the magnetic force of the first magnetic body154which reaches the movable segment152while the mirror base140moves away from the removal switch130becomes weak, and the movable segment152is elastically restored, and thus the second state (the open state) is maintained while the connection between the movable segment152and the base segment151is released.

Here, the second state is a state in which the mirror base140is abnormally removed from the room mirror holder400and the room mirror having the ETC function is removed from the windshield glass300.

Therefore, the first magnetic body154monitors that the room mirror having the ETC function is removed from the vehicle in a non-contact way. Thereby, the physical contact is avoided, and a malfunction caused by physical damage to a mechanical monitoring part can be effectively prevented.

Further, as a physical monitoring part is eliminated, a manufacturing cost of the monitoring device can be reduced, and the monitoring device can be adjusted in various shapes and sizes according to a layout of the periphery on which the monitoring device is mounted.

Meanwhile, the monitoring part150according to an embodiment of the present invention has the first magnetic body154alone which is only housed inside the mirror base140, but a monitoring part150according to another embodiment of the present invention is made up of a first magnetic body154and a second magnetic body155.

The first magnetic body154is housed close to a direction in which the removal switch130is disposed inside the mirror base140, and the second magnetic body155is disposed in a direction opposite to a direction in which the mirror base140is disposed inside the removal switch130on the basis of the base segment151and the movable segment152.

When the mirror base140is disposed close to the removal switch130, the first magnetic body154pulls the movable segment152, which is housed inside the removal switch130, toward the base segment151using a magnetic force.

Therefore, the first magnetic body154pulls the movable segment152toward the base segment151, and thus the movable segment152comes into contact with the base segment151while being bent toward the base segment151and is put in the first state (the closed state).

Specifically, when the first magnetic body154according to another embodiment of the present invention is mounted in the insertion recess410of the room mirror holder400in a state in which the mirror base140is in close contact with the removal switch130as illustrated inFIG.6A, the movable segment152housed inside the removal switch130comes into contact with the base segment151while being bent toward the base segment151by a magnetic force of the first magnetic body154housed inside the mirror base140and thus the first state (the closed state) is maintained.

As illustrated inFIG.6B, when the mirror base140is abnormally removed from the room mirror holder400on which the room mirror having the ETC function is mounted, an influence of the magnetic force of the first magnetic body154which reaches the movable segment152while the mirror base140moves away from the removal switch130becomes weak, and the movable segment is bent toward the second magnetic body155by a magnetic force of the second magnetic body155that is disposed in a direction in which the mirror base140is disposed inside the removal switch130on the basis of the movable segment152and the base segment151, and thus the second state (the open state) is maintained while the connection between the movable segment152and the base segment151is released.

Therefore, in the first magnetic body154and the second magnetic body155according to another embodiment of the present invention, although an elastic restoring force of the movable segment152is reduced, when the mirror base140, on which the room mirror having the ETC function is mounted, is abnormally removed from the room mirror holder400and moves away from the removal switch130, the movable segment152can release the connection from the base segment151due to the magnetic force of the second magnetic body155.

Here, the magnetic force of the second magnetic body155may be weaker than that of the first magnetic body154.

Therefore, when the first magnetic body154moves close to the movable segment152, the movable segment152can easily come into contact toward the mirror base140in which the first magnetic body154is disposed because the magnetic force of the second magnetic body155is weaker than that of the first magnetic body154, and can come into contact with the base segment151.

Meanwhile, the first magnetic body154according to an embodiment of the present invention and the first magnetic body154and the second magnetic body155according to another embodiment of the present invention are used to monitor that the mirror base140, on which the room mirror having the ETC function is mounted, is abnormally removed from the room mirror holder400, but a physical contact member156may be simultaneously used for the monitoring part150according to yet another embodiment of the present invention.

The contact member156is provided in a structure such as a switch and is formed on a lower surface of the removal switch130, that is, in a direction in which the mirror base140is disposed.

As illustrated inFIG.7A, when the mirror base140is disposed close to the removal switch130, the contact member156is pressed by an upper surface of the mirror base140.

As described above, when the contact member156is pressed by the mirror base140, the movable segment152is put in the first state (the closed state).

At the same time, the movable segment152housed inside the removal switch130comes into contact with the base segment151while being bent toward the base segment151by the magnetic force of the first magnetic body154housed inside the mirror base140, and the first state (the closed state) is maintained.

As illustrated inFIG.7B, when the mirror base140is abnormally removed from the room mirror holder400on which the room mirror having the ETC function is mounted, the pressing of the contact member156is released, and the movable segment152is put in the second state (the open state).

At the same time, an influence of the magnetic force of the first magnetic body154which reaches the movable segment152while the mirror base140moves away from the removal switch130becomes weak, and the movable segment152is elastically restored and thus the second state (the open state) is maintained while the connection between the movable segment152and the base segment151is released.

Therefore, even if any one of the contact member156and the first magnetic body154is damaged, the other of the contact member156and the first magnetic body154which is not damaged is normally operated. Thereby, the monitoring part150according to yet another embodiment of the present invention can easily monitor that the mirror base140is abnormally removed from the room mirror holder400.

Meanwhile, it is described in an embodiment of the present invention that only the first magnetic body154is disposed at the mirror base140. However, as in another embodiment of the present invention, the second magnetic body155may be additionally disposed inside the removal switch130as long as the first state (the closed state) or the second state (the open state) can be monitored according to the movement of the movable segment152.

FIG.8is a flow chart illustrating an operation procedure of the room mirror removal monitoring device with an ETC function according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring toFIG.8, when the room mirror removal monitoring device with an ETC function according to an embodiment of the present invention is powered on and is supplied with power by a battery of a vehicle or a built-in battery, the room mirror removal monitoring device enters a boot mode, performs first initialization, drives an application, initializes peripheral elements related to removal monitoring among CPU peripheral devices, and monitors a state of the monitoring part150(S101to S104).

As a result of the monitoring, when the mirror base140is monitored as being in a removal state, the room mirror removal monitoring device is supplied with the battery power, checks whether the room mirror removal monitoring device is a normally issued OBU, and interrupts the battery power because it is unnecessary to perform the removal operation when the room mirror removal monitoring device is an OBU that is not yet issued (S105to S107).

In the case of the normally issued OBU in operation S107, related devices for performing the removal operation are initialized and a related task and an OS are driven. Then, the ESAM112executes a removal command according to a prescribed procedure, and as a result of executing the removal command, a removal state is recorded on the ESAM112and the memory114(S108to S111).

The removal operation is repeated several times when failing to perform the removal operation and the battery power is interrupted when succeeding in performing the removal operation (S112and S113).

Meanwhile, if the mirror base140is in a normally mounted state in operation S105, the room mirror removal monitoring device initializes the related devices and the task and operates the OS (S114to S116).

Afterwards, the state of the mirror base140is monitored through an interrupt function during the OS operation, and if the removal state is monitored, the ESAM112executes the removal command (S114to S119).

FIG.9is a flow chart illustrating an operation procedure of the room mirror removal monitoring device with an ETC function according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring toFIG.9, first, a removal state of the removal switch130is monitored through power of a supercapacitor, and then the removal state of the removal switch130is stored in the monitoring part (S201and S202).

Meanwhile, the supercapacitor according to another embodiment of the present invention is a capacitor that increases storage capacity in comparison with usual capacitors and reinforces performance of electric capacity. Thus, in the present invention, an ETC room mirror being removed from a vehicle can be monitored for at least 10 days or more even in a state in which a battery of the vehicle is not connected.

That is, in the present invention, it can be monitored that an ETC room mirror is removed from a vehicle while minimum power is maintained by the supercapacitor.

Next, when power is supplied by a battery or a built-in battery, the removal state of the removal switch130of operation S202is checked again (S204).

Next, because it is unnecessary to perform a removal operation when the room mirror removal monitoring device is an OBU that is not yet issued, the battery power is interrupted (S205).

Next, in the case of a normally issued OBU in operation S205, related devices for performing the removal operation are initialized and a related task and an OS are driven. Then, the ESAM112executes a removal command according to a prescribed procedure, and as a result of executing the removal command, a removal state is recorded on the ESAM112and the memory114(S206to S209).

The removal operation is repeated several times when failing to perform the removal operation and the battery power is interrupted when succeeding in performing the removal operation (S210and S211).

That is, in another embodiment of the present invention, the supercapacitor is used, and thus the removal state of the removal switch130can be monitored before the power of the battery or the built-in battery is supplied, and thus removal of the removal switch130can be easily monitored while maintaining the minimum power (preventing vehicle discharge)

In this way, according to the present invention, when removal of the OBU is monitored through the removal switch130and the mirror base140, the CPU and the ESAM112process the removal procedure using the battery power, and thus damage caused by theft or illegal use of the OBU can be prevented in advance.

The present invention has not been limited to the afore-mentioned embodiments and can be variously modified and carried out without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention.