Vehicle management system

• US 20020065590A1
• Filed: 11/26/2001
• Published: 05/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Matsui, Fujio
• Granted Patent: US 6,560,517 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/33
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

In a vehicle management system in accordance with the present invention, a user uses a portable telephone dedicated to the own vehicle to enter a specific number that is pre-set for the portable telephone. This automatically brings a control apparatus incorporated in a vehicle to a standby state for wireless communication. The control apparatus calls a central information management center. Data stored in control apparatuses interconnected over a network within the vehicle is transmitted to the central information management center through the portable telephone. The central information management center preserves vehicle information in one-to-one correspondence with users, and distributes the data to departments. The condition of each vehicle is thus managed. Moreover, information concerning the condition of a vehicle, such as, the maintained state of a vehicle and the presence or absence of a defect is provided for each user.

Claims

1. A vehicle management system comprising:

a vehicle data communicating means dedicated to each user'"'"'s vehicle and capable of communicating data stored in a control apparatus, which is mounted on an associated vehicle, to outside in real time by radio;

a database system for receiving data from said vehicle data communicating means and preserving data in one-to-one correspondence with users; and

a network system for managing the condition of each user'"'"'s vehicle according to the data preserved in said database system, and providing information concerning the condition of a vehicle to each user.

2. A vehicle management system according to claim 1, further comprising a communication circuit for communicating with both said vehicle data communicating means and said control apparatus by wireless, wherein data stored in said control apparatus is transmitted to said vehicle data communicating means through wireless communication.

3. A vehicle management system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a communication circuit for communicating with said vehicle data communicating means and at least one of a plurality of control apparatuses, which are mounted on each user'"'"'s vehicle and interconnected over a network, by wireless,

wherein data stored in the control apparatuses interconnected over the network is transmitted to said vehicle data communicating means through wireless communication.

4. A vehicle management system according to claim 2, wherein said vehicle data communicating means is a portable telephone having the ability to communicate with said control apparatus by wireless.

5. A vehicle management system according to claim 3, wherein said vehicle data communicating means is a portable telephone having the ability to communicate with said control apparatus, which includes said communication circuit and is connected to other control apparatuses over the network, by wireless.

6. A vehicle management system according to claim 1, wherein said vehicle data communicating means is connected to said control apparatuses over a harness.

7. A vehicle management system according to claim 1, wherein said vehicle data communicating means is connected to at least one of said plurality of control apparatuses, which are mounted on each user'"'"'s vehicle and interconnected over a network, over a harness.

8. A vehicle management system according to claim 2, wherein said vehicle data communicating means is connected to a user'"'"'s portable telephone in order to transmit data via said portable telephone.

9. A vehicle management system according to claim 3, wherein said vehicle data communicating means is connected to a user'"'"'s portable telephone in order to transmit data via said portable telephone.

10. A vehicle management system according to claim 6, wherein said vehicle data communicating means is connected to a user'"'"'s portable telephone in order to transmit data via said portable telephone.

11. A vehicle management system according to claim 7, wherein said vehicle data communicating means is connected to a user'"'"'s portable telephone in order to transmit data via said portable telephone.

12. A vehicle management system according to claim 1, wherein information concerning the condition of a vehicle is provided for each user over a general public network.