It is useful to know the feature of each media, Radio wave beacon and Infrared beacon that are installed on the roads, and FM multiplex broadcasting that can provide information far and wide, by making use of FM radio wave.
| FM multiplex broadcasting | Radio wave beacon | Infrared beacon | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transmission device | VICS FM multiplex broadcasting |
Radio wave beacon (on roads) |
Infrared beacon (on roads) |
| Receivable location | transmission range | expressways mainly | major ordinary roads |
| Frequency/wavelength | 76-90MHz | 2.5GHz | --- |
| Data capacity | 50KB | 8KB | 10KB |
| Transmission rate | 16Kbps | 64Kbps | 1Mbps |
| transmission range | 10-50km | 70m | 3.5m |
| Repetition of providing | 2 times/5 minutes | 2-3 times/1 receiving | |
| Quantity of data | about 50,000 characters/1location | about 8,000 characters/1location | about 10,000 characters/1location |
| Contents | •Information about a prefecture of each staion •Expressway information as far as about 100 km away. |
•Expressway information as far as 200 km away from a beacon •conditions near interchange |
•information about ordinary road as far as 30 km ahead, and 1 km backwards from a beacon. |
| Level 3 Map | congestion link-travel-time (Expressway Information) interval travel-time restrictions parking lot |
congestion interval-travel-time restrictions SA/PA infoamation |
congestion link-travel-time interval travel-time restrictions parking lot |
| Level 2 Simple graphic display |
congestion interval travel-time restrictions |
interval travel-time restrictions SA/PA information |
congestion interval travel-time restrictions messsage information |
| Level 1 Text |
congestion interval travel-time restrictions |
interval travel-time restrictions SA/PA information |
congestion interval travel-time restrictions messsage information |
