Communication system, vehicle-mounted communication system, communication device, and vehicle-mounted device

• US 20020007238A1
• Filed: 04/18/2001
• Published: 01/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hatakeyama, Takeshi, Tomoda, Masaaki, Kitao, Mitsuru, Kurosaki, Toshihiko, Moriguchi, Kenichi
• Granted Patent: US 6,587,756 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The present invention provides a communication system, a vehicle-mounted communication system, a communication device, and a vehicle-mounted device, which can easily and simultaneously set plural devices which are connected by a network. A communication terminal (server) 11 comprises a storage medium interface 112 to or from which a storage medium 111 can be inserted or removed, and each of devices 12a to 12c comprises a control means 122 for controlling reading of setting information 115 from the storage medium 111 which has been inserted into the storage medium interface 112 of the communication terminal (server) 11 or writing of the setting information 115 to the storage medium 111, via a network 15, and a setting means 124 for setting the self-device on the basis of the setting information 115 read from the storage medium 111.

Claims

1. A communication system in which a first device and a second device are connected by a channel, and the first device and the second device establish communication via the channel, wherein

the first device comprises a storage medium interface to or from which a storage medium can be inserted or removed, and

the second device comprises a control means for controlling reading of setting information from the storage medium which has inserted into the storage medium interface of the first device or writing of setting information onto the storage medium, via the channel;

and a setting means for carrying out setting of the second device on the basis of the setting information read from the storage medium.

3. The communication system of claim 1 or 2 wherein

the second device establishes communication with the first device via the channel, with start-up of the communication system as a trigger, and the setting of the second device is carried out on the basis of the setting information read from the storage medium.

4. The communication system of claim 1 wherein

the second device establishes communication with the first device via the channel, with insertion of the storage medium into the storage medium interface as a trigger, and the setting of the second device is carried out on the basis of the setting information read from the storage medium.

7. The communication system of claim 1 or 2 wherein

the second device establishes communication with the first device via the channel, with receipt of a message from a third device connected to the channel, for requesting update of setting information as a trigger, and the setting of the second device is carried out on the basis of the setting information read from the storage medium.

8. The communication system of claim 1 or 2 wherein

when the setting information read from the storage medium is updated, the second device writes the updated setting information in the storage medium via the channel.

9. The communication system of claim 1 or 2 wherein

the setting information stored in the storage medium includes setting information for each person or identification information for identifying a person.

10. The communication system of claim 1 or 2 wherein

the setting information stored in the storage medium includes user interface setting information concerning setting of a user interface of a Human Machine Interface device, and

when the second device is a Human Machine Interface device, it establishes communication with the first device via the channel, and the setting of the second device is carried out on the basis of the user interface setting information which is included in the setting information read from the storage medium.

11. The communication system of claim 1 or 2 wherein

the setting information stored in the storage medium includes voice recognition information concerning voice recognition for each person stored in a voice recognition device, and

when the second device is a voice recognition device, it establishes communication with the first device via the channel, and the setting of the second device is carried out on the basis of the voice recognition information which is included in the setting information read from the storage medium.

12. The communication system of claim 1 or 2 wherein

the setting information stored in the storage medium includes executable program information, and

the second device establishes communication with the first device via the channel, and executes a program on the basis of the program information which is included in the setting information read from the storage medium.

13. The communication system of claim 1 or 2 comprising a relay device which is connected to a first channel constituted by the channel and a second channel different from the first channel,

said relay device comprising plural communication means for establishing communications with the first channel and the second channel, respectively, and a control means for controlling relay between the first channel and the second channel.

14. The communication system of claim 1 or 2 wherein

the first device is connected to a first channel constituted by the channel and a second channel different from the first channel, and performs relay between the first channel and the second channel.

15. The communication system of claim 1 or 2 wherein the storage medium is a memory card.

16. The communication system of claim 1 or 2 wherein the storage medium is a PCMCIA card.

17. The communication system of claim 1 or 2 wherein the storage medium is an IC card.

18. A vehicle-mounted communication system which is obtained by using the communication system of claim 1 or 2 to be mounted on a vehicle, wherein

the second device establishes communication with the first device via the channel, with turning-on of an ignition key or start-up of an engine of the vehicle as a trigger, and the setting of the second device is carried out on the basis of the setting information read from the storage medium.

19. A vehicle-mounted communication system which is obtained by using the communication system of claim 1 or 2 to be mounted on a vehicle, wherein

the first device or the second device analyzes contents of vehicle speed information transmitted from a vehicle speed sensor, and when recognizing that the vehicle speed is higher than a prescribed speed, controls the setting of the second device not to be carried out.

20. A vehicle-mounted communication system which is obtained by using the communication system of claim 1 or 2 to be mounted on a vehicle, wherein

the first device or the second device analyzes contents of status information indicating an engine operation status transmitted from an engine sensor, and when recognizing that the engine is working, controls the setting of the second device not to be carried out.

21. A vehicle-mounted communication system which is obtained by using the communication system of claim 1 or 2 to be mounted on a vehicle, wherein

the setting information stored in the storage medium includes seat position setting information concerning a seat position for each person, and

when the second device is a device for setting the seat position of the vehicle, it establishes communication with the first device via the channel, and the setting of the second device is carried out on the basis of the seat position setting information which is included in the setting information read from the storage medium.

22. A vehicle-mounted communication system which is obtained by using the communication system of claim 1 or 2 to be mounted on a vehicle, wherein

the setting information stored in the storage medium includes mirror position setting information concerning a mirror position of the vehicle for each person, and

when the second device is a device for setting the mirror position of the vehicle, it establishes communication with the first device via the channel, and the setting of the second device is carried out on the basis of the mirror position setting information which is included in the setting information read from the storage medium.

23. A vehicle-mounted communication system which is obtained by using the communication system of claim 1 or 2 to be mounted on a vehicle, wherein

the setting information stored in the storage means includes handle position setting information concerning a handle position of the vehicle for each person, and

when the second device is a device for setting a handle position of the vehicle, it establishes communication with the first device via the channel, and the setting of the second device is carried out on the basis of the handle position setting information which is included in the setting information read from the storage medium.

24. A vehicle-mounted communication system which is obtained by using the communication system of claim 1 or 2 to be mounted on a vehicle, wherein

the setting information stored in the storage medium includes air conditioner setting information concerning an air conditioner environment for each person, and

when the second device is an air conditioner device, it establishes communication with the first device via the channel, and the setting of the second device is carried out on the basis of the air conditioner setting information which is included in the setting information read from the storage medium.

25. A vehicle-mounted communication system which is obtained by using the communication system of claim 1 or 2 to be mounted on a vehicle, wherein

the setting information stored in the storage medium includes car audio setting information concerning a car audio environment for each person, and

when the second device is a car audio device, it establishes communication with the first device via the channel, and the setting of the second device is carried out on the basis of the car audio setting information which is included in the setting information read from the storage medium.

26. A vehicle-mounted communication system which is obtained by using the communication system of claim 1 or 2 to be mounted on a vehicle, wherein

the setting information stored in the storage medium includes car navigator setting information concerning a car navigator environment for each person, and

when the second device is a car navigator device, it establishes communication with the first device via the channel, and the setting of the second device is carried out on the basis of the car navigator setting information which is included in the setting information read from the storage medium.

2. A communication system in which a first device and a second device are connected by a channel, and the first device and a second device establish communication via the channel, wherein

the first device comprises a radio interface for establishing radio communication with a storage medium which includes a radio interface, and

the second device comprises a control means for controlling reading of setting information from the storage medium via the radio interface by means of the first device or writing of setting information onto the storage medium, via the channel;

and a setting means for carrying out setting of the second device on the basis of the setting information read from the storage medium.

5. The communication system of claim 2 wherein

the second device establishes communication with the first device via the channel, with a fact that the first device and the storage medium become communicable by radio via the radio interface as a trigger, and the setting of the second device is carried out on the basis of the setting information read from the storage medium.

6. The communication system of claim 2 wherein

the second device establishes communication with the first device via the channel, with a fact that the first device and the storage medium become communicable by radio via the radio interface as a trigger, and the setting of the second device is carried out on the basis of the setting information read from the storage medium, and

the setting of the second device is released with a fact that the first device and the storage medium become incommunicable by radio via the radio interface as a trigger.

27. A communication device as a first device which establishes communication with a second device via a channel comprising:

a storage medium interface to and from which a storage medium can be inserted or removed;

a communication means for establishing the communication with the second device via the channel; and

a control means for controlling reading of setting information from the storage medium which has been inserted into the storage medium interface, or writing of setting information of the second device which has received from the second device via the channel onto the storage medium.

29. The communication device of claim 27 wherein

the control means reads the setting information from the storage medium which has been inserted into the storage medium interface to transmit the same to the second device, with receipt of a message for requesting the setting information from the second device as a trigger.

30. The communication device of claim 27 wherein

the control means reads access address information to the storage medium which has been inserted into the storage medium interface to transmit the same to the second device, with start-up of the communication device as a trigger.

31. The communication device of claim 27 wherein

the control means reads the setting information from the storage medium which has been inserted into the storage medium interface to transmit the same to the second device, with start-up of the communication device as a trigger.

32. The communication device of claim 27 wherein

the control means transmits a message indicating that the storage medium has been inserted into the storage medium interface, to the second device, with the insertion of the storage medium into the storage medium interface as a trigger.

33. The communication device of claim 27 wherein

the control means reads the setting information from the storage medium which has been inserted into the storage medium interface to transmit the same to the second device, with the insertion of the storage medium into the storage medium interface as a trigger.

36. A vehicle-mounted device which is obtained by using

the communication device of claim 27 or 28 to be mounted on a vehicle.

37. The vehicle-mounted device of claim 36 wherein

when vehicle speed information is received from a vehicle speed sensor by the communication means, the control means analyzes contents of the vehicle speed information and when recognizing that the vehicle speed is higher than a prescribed speed, controls the setting information read from the storage medium which has been inserted into the storage medium interface so as not to be transmitted to the second device.

38. The vehicle-mounted device of claim 36 wherein

when status information indicating an engine operation status is received from an engine sensor by the communication means, the control means analyzes contents of the status information and when recognizing that the engine is working, controls the setting information read from the storage medium which has been inserted into the storage medium interface so as not to be transmitted to the second device.

28. A communication device as a first device which establishes communication with a second device via a channel comprising:

a radio interface for establishing radio communication with a storage medium having a radio interface;

a communication means for establishing the communication with the second device via the channel; and

a control means for controlling reading of setting information from the storage medium or writing of setting information of the second device which has received from the second device via the channel onto the storage medium, via the radio interface.

34. The communication device of claim 28 wherein

the control means transmits a message indicating that the storage medium has been found, to the second device, with a fact that radio communication becomes possible via the storage medium and the radio interface as a trigger.

35. The communication device of claim 28 wherein

the control means reads the setting information from the storage medium via the radio interface to transmit the same to the second device, with a fact that radio communication becomes possible via the storage medium and the radio interface as a trigger.

39. A communication device as a second device for establishing communication with a first device via a channel comprising:

a communication means for establishing the communication with the first device via the channel;

a control means for controlling reading of setting information from the first device or writing of setting information onto the first device, via the channel; and

a setting means for carrying out setting of the second device on the basis of the setting information which is read from the first device and received by the communication means, wherein

when the setting information read from the first device is updated, the control means controls writing of the updated setting information onto the first device.

40. The communication device of claim 39 wherein

the control means creates a message for requesting the setting information to transmit the same to the first device, with start-up of the communication device as a trigger.

41. The communication device of claim 39 wherein

the control means creates a message for requesting access address information required for the communication with the first device to transmit the same by broadcast, with start-up of the communication device as a trigger, and

when the communication means receives the access address information from the first device, it transmits a message for requesting setting information on the basis of the access address information.

42. The communication device of claim 39 wherein

the communication means transmits a message for requesting setting information, with receipt of a message for requesting setting information from a third device which is connected to the channel as a trigger.

43. The communication device of claim 39 further comprising a default setting storage means for containing default setting information of the second device, wherein

when the setting means receives setting information from the first device, it carries out the setting of the second device on the basis of the setting information, and when it receives no setting information from the first device, it carries out the setting of the second device on the basis of the default setting information.

44. A vehicle-mounted device which is obtained by using the communication device of claim 39 to be mounted on a vehicle.

45. The vehicle-mounted device of claim 44 wherein

when vehicle speed information is received from a vehicle speed sensor by the communication means, the control means analyzes contents of the vehicle speed information and when recognizing that the vehicle speed is higher than a prescribed speed, controls the setting means so as not to execute the setting of the second device.

46. The vehicle-mounted device of claim 44 wherein

when status information indicating an engine operation status is received from an engine sensor by the communication means, the control means analyzes contents of the status information and when recognizing that the engine is working, controls the setting means so as not to execute the setting of the second device.