In-vehicle wireless device, management center, and operating-state notification system

• US 20040198255A1
• Filed: 03/03/2003
• Published: 10/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Hayashida, Atsushi
• Application Number:
  US10/378,207
• Publication Number:
  US 20040198255A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/99
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0225 using monitoring of external events, e.g. the presence of a signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An in-vehicle wireless device mounted in a vehicle detects an operating state of an on-state and an off-state of an ignition of the vehicle. The in-vehicle wireless device shifts an operating state of a wireless section for wireless communication between an on-state and an off-state during the off-state of the ignition. The in-vehicle wireless device simultaneously notifies the operating state of the wireless section to a management center. The management center then notifies to a cell phone of a vehicle user the received operating state of the wireless section of the in-vehicle wireless device.

Claims

1. A wireless device that is provided in a vehicle and communicates with a center that communicates with a user, the wireless device comprising:

power detecting means for detecting either of an on-state and an off-state of main power of the vehicle;

wireless means, for wireless communication, having periodic-operation means that shifts an operating state of the wireless means itself between an on-state and an off-state during the off-state of the main power of the vehicle detected by the power detecting means; and

notifying means for notifying to the center wireless-state information including information that relates to the operating state of the wireless means, wherein the center then notifies the wireless-state information to the user.

2. A wireless device according to claim 1,

wherein the wireless-state information notified to the center by the notifying means includes that the wireless means is shifted into the on-state by the periodic-operation means and that the wireless means is to be shifted into the off-state by the periodic-operation means.

3. A wireless device according to claim 1,

wherein the wireless-state information notified to the center by the notifying means includes time when the wireless means is to be shifted from a present state into the other state between the on-state and the off-state.

4. A wireless device according to claim 1,

wherein the wireless-state information notified to the center by the notifying means includes that the main power of the vehicle is in the on-state when the power detecting means detects that the main power shifts into the on-state and that the main power of the vehicle is in the off-state when the power detecting means detects that the main power of the vehicle shifts into the off-state.

5. A center communicating with a user and a wireless device that is provided in a vehicle and has, for wireless communication, a wireless unit whose operating state being shifted between an on-state and an off-state during an off-state of main power of the vehicle, the center comprising:

determining means for determining whether wireless-state information including information that relates to the operating state of the wireless unit during the off-state of the main power of the vehicle is notified by the wireless device; and

notifying means for notifying to the user the wireless-state information determined to be notified by the determining means.

6. A center according to claim 5,

wherein the notifying means includes:

storing means for storing the wireless-state information determined to be notified by the determining means; and

replying means for notifying to the user the wireless-state information stored in the storing means according to request of the user.

7. A center according to claim 6,

wherein the wireless-state information determined to be notified by the determining means includes that the wireless unit is shifted into the on-state and that the wireless unit is to be shifted into the off-state.

8. A center according to claim 6,

wherein the wireless-state information determined to be notified by the determining means includes time when the wireless means is to be shifted from a present state into the other state between the on-state and the off-state.

9. A center according to claim 6,

wherein the wireless-state information determined to be notified by the determining means includes that the main power of the vehicle is in the on-state and that the main power of the vehicle is in the off-state.

10. A wireless-state notifying system including a wireless device provided in a vehicle and a center that communicates with a user and the wireless device, the wireless-state notifying system comprising:

power detecting means for detecting either of an on-state and an off-state of main power of the vehicle;

wireless means, for wireless communication, having periodic-operation means that shifts an operating state of the wireless means itself between an on-state and an off-state during the off-state of the main power of the vehicle detected by the power detecting means;

center notifying means for notifying to the center wireless-state information including information that relates to the operating state of the wireless means;

notification determining means for determining whether the wireless-state information is notified by the center notifying means; and

user notifying means for notifying to the user the wireless-state information determined by the notification determining means.

11. A wireless device that is provided in a vehicle and communicates with a center that communicates with a user, the wireless device comprising:

power detecting means for detecting either of an on-state and an off-state of main power of the vehicle;

wireless means, for wireless communication, having periodic-operation means that shifts an operating state of the wireless means itself between an on-state and an off-state during the off-state of the main power of the vehicle detected by the power detecting means; and

notifying means for notifying to the user wireless-state information including information that relates to the operating state of the wireless means.

12. A wireless device according to claim 11,

wherein the notifying means notifies, to an identification number of a cell phone of the user, the wireless-state information.

13. A wireless device according to claim 11,

wherein the notifying means notifies, to an identification number of an e-mail of the user, the wireless-state information.

14. A wireless device according to claim 11,

wherein the notifying means notifies, to an identification number of a pager of the user, the wireless-state information.

15. A wireless device according to claim 11,

wherein the notifying means notifies, to an identification number of a facsimile machine of the user, the wireless-state information.

16. A wireless-state notifying method in a system including a wireless device provided in a vehicle and a center that communicates with a user and the wireless device, the wireless-state notifying method comprising steps of:

detecting either of an on-state and an off-state of main power of the vehicle;

shifting an operating state of a wireless communication function in the wireless device between an on-state and an off-state of during the off-state of the main power of the vehicle;

notifying, from the wireless device to the center, wireless-state information including information that relates to the operating state of the wireless communication function; and

notifying, from the center to the user, the wireless-state information.