VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM AND METHOD USING SIGNAL ARRIVAL ANGLE MEASUREMENT

A communication vehicle identification apparatus includes first and second radio communication units, a directional finding unit, a vehicle classification unit, and a vehicle identification unit. The first radio communication unit is mounted on a vehicle. The second radio communication unit is placed at a gate through which the vehicle passes to perform radio communication with the first radio communication unit. The directional finding unit measures an arrival angle of a radio signal transmitted from the first radio communication unit with respect to a reference direction. The vehicle classification unit detects the vehicle shape using image data obtained by photographing the vehicle and outputs vehicle shape data. When the vehicle has reached a predetermined position on the gate, the vehicle identification unit determines whether the arrival angle output from the directional finding unit falls within an arrival angle range of the radio signal from the first radio communication unit, which is calculated using the vehicle shape data from the vehicle classification unit, and identifies the vehicle having the first radio communication unit on the basis of a determination result.