Onboard wireless communication system

• US 20050181837A1
• Filed: 02/11/2005
• Published: 08/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Sakai, Hiroshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,356,358 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/567
• 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 25/403 Power supply in the vehicle

Abstract

An onboard wireless communication system includes a power supply circuit, a wireless communication circuit, a control circuit, and a current integration circuit. The current integration circuit calculates an integration value of current fed from a battery after the battery starts discharging. The current integration circuit temporarily stops the calculation until transmission of a burglar alarm signal is completed when a burglar detection signal is outputted from a burglar detection ECU while the integration value is still smaller than a reference value. As a result, power supply from the power supply circuit to the wireless communication circuit is maintained. The power supply is stopped when the integration value is equal to or larger than the reference value while the burglar detection signal is still not outputted from the burglar detection ECU.

Claims

1. An onboard wireless communication system comprising:

wireless communication means that transmits a signal to an outside;

power supply means that supplies power from a battery to the wireless communication means;

control means that controls the power supply from the battery to the wireless communication means and transmission of an emergency report signal from the wireless communication means to the outside; and

current integration means that calculates an integration value of current fed from the battery after battery starts discharging, wherein

the control means includes signal transmission instructing means that issues an instruction to the wireless communication means for transmitting the emergency report signal to the outside on a condition that the emergency signal is detected while the power is supplied from the power supply means to the wireless communication means,

the current integration means includes power supply determining means, emergency signal detecting means, integration value comparing means, calculation halting means, and power supply halting means the power supply determining means determines whether power is supplied from the power supply means to the wireless communication means,

the emergency signal detecting means detects an emergency signal outputted from an onboard electronic control unit,

the current integration means includes,

the integration value comparing means compares the integration value with a reference value and determines whether the integration value is equal to or larger than the reference value,

the calculation halting means temporarily stops the calculation of the integration value at least until the control means completes the transmission of the emergency report signal from the wireless communication means to the outside on the condition that the emergency signal is detected by the emergency signal detecting means while the integration value is still smaller than the reference value, and

the power supply halting means stops the power supply from the power supply means to the wireless communication means based on an instruction from the control means on a condition that the integration value is equal to or larger than the reference value while the emergency signal is still not detected by the emergency signal detecting means.

2. The onboard wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein the current integration means resets the integration value on a condition that the emergency signal is detected by the emergency signal detecting means while the integration value is still smaller than the reference value.

3. The onboard wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein the current integration means modifies the reference value on a condition that the emergency signal is detected by the emergency signal detecting means while the integration value is still smaller than the reference value.

4. The onboard wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein the current integration means is provided separately from the control means.

5. The onboard wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein:

the current integration means further includes failure detecting means and second integration value comparing means;

the failure detecting means detects a failure to stop the power supply from the power supply means to the wireless communication means;

the second integration value comparing means compares the integration value with a second reference value and determines whether the integration value is equal to or larger than the second reference value; and

the power supply halting means stops the power supply from the power supply means to the wireless communication means on a condition that the integration value is equal to or larger than the second reference value.

6. The onboard wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein the emergency signal detecting means determines whether the emergency signal is inputted from the onboard electronic control unit to the control means immediately after the battery starts discharging.

7. The onboard wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein the control means further includes reference value modifying means that modifies the reference value on the condition that the emergency signal is detected while the integration value is still smaller than the reference value.

8. An onboard wireless communication system comprising:

wireless communication means that transmits a signal to an outside;

power supply means that supplies power from a battery to the wireless communication means;

control means that controls the power supply from the battery to the wireless communication means and transmission of an emergency report signal from the wireless communication means to the outside; and

current integration means that calculates an integration value of current fed from the battery after the battery starts discharging, wherein

the control means includes signal transmission instructing means that issues an instruction to the wireless communication means for transmitting the emergency report signal to the outside on a condition that the emergency signal is detected while the power is supplied from the power supply means to the wireless communication means,

the current integration means includes power supply determining means, emergency signal detecting means, integration value comparing means, power supply halting means, and comparison halting means,

the power supply determining means determines whether power is supplied from the power supply means to the wireless communication means,

the emergency signal detecting means detects an emergency signal outputted from an onboard electronic control unit,

the integration value comparing means compares the integration value with a reference value and determines whether the integration value is equal to or larger than the reference value,

the power supply halting means stops the power supply from the power supply means to the wireless communication means based on an instruction from the control means on a condition that the integration value is equal to or larger than the reference value, and

the comparison halting means stops the comparison between the integration value and the reference value at least until the control means completes the transmission of the emergency report signal from the wireless communication means to the outside on a condition that the emergency signal is detected by the emergency signal detecting means.

9. The onboard wireless communication system according to claim 8, wherein the current integration means is provided separately from the control means.

10. The onboard wireless communication system according to claim 8, wherein:

the current integration means further includes failure detecting means and second integration value comparing means;

the failure detecting means detects a failure to stop the power supply from the power supply means to the wireless communication means;

the second integration value comparing means compares the integration value with a second reference value and determines whether the integration value is equal to or larger than the second reference value; and

the power supply halting means stops the power supply from the power supply means to the wireless communication means in a condition that the integration value is equal to or larger than the second reference value.

11. The onboard wireless communication system according to claim 8 wherein the emergency signal detecting means determines whether the emergency signal is inputted from the onboard electronic control unit to the control means immediately after the battery starts discharging.

12. An onboard wireless communication system comprising:

wireless communication means that transmits a signal to an outside;

power supply means that supplies power from a battery to the wireless communication means;

control means that controls the power supply from the battery to the wireless communication means and transmission of an emergency report signal from the wireless communication means to the outside; and

current integration means that calculates an integration value of current fed from the battery after the battery starts discharging, wherein

the control means includes signal transmission instructing means that issues an instruction to the wireless communication means for transmitting the emergency report signal to the outside on a condition that the emergency signal is detected while the power is supplied from the power supply means to the wireless communication means,

the current integration means includes power supply determining means, emergency signal detecting means, integration value comparing means, power supply halting means, and power supply maintaining means,

the power supply determining means determines whether power is supplied from the power supply means to the wireless communication means,

the emergency signal detecting means detects an emergency signal outputted from an onboard electronic control unit,

the integration value comparing means compares the integration value with a reference value and determines whether the integration value is equal to or larger than the reference value,

the power supply halting means stops the power supply from the power supply means to the wireless communication means based on an instruction from the control means on a condition that the integration value is equal to or larger than the reference value, and

the power supply maintaining means maintains the power supply from the power supply means to the wireless communication means at least until the control means completes the transmission of the emergency report signal from the wireless communication means to the outside even on a condition that the emergency signal is detected by the emergency signal detecting means while the integration value is equal to or larger than the reference value.

13. The onboard wireless communication system according to claim 12, wherein the current integration means is provided separately from the control means.

14. The onboard wireless communication system according to claim 12, wherein:

the current integration means further includes failure detecting means and second integration value comparing means;

the failure detecting means detects a failure to stop the power supply from the power supply means to the wireless communication means;

the second integration value comparing means compares the integration value with a second reference value and determines whether the integration value is equal to or larger than the second reference value; and

the power supply halting means stops the power supply from the power supply means to the wireless communication means on a condition that the integration value is equal to or larger than the second reference value.

15. The onboard wireless communication system according to claim 12 wherein the emergency signal detecting means determines whether the emergency signal is inputted from the onboard electronic control unit to the control means immediately after the battery starts discharging.

16. An onboard wireless communication system comprising:

wireless communication means that transmits a signal to an outside;

power supply means that supplies power from a battery to the wireless communication means; and

control means that controls the power supply from the battery to the wireless communication means and transmission of an emergency report signal from the wireless communication means to the outside, wherein

the control means includes power supply determining means, emergency signal detecting means, signal transmission instructing means, integration value calculating means, integration value comparing means, calculation halting means, and power supply halting means,

the power supply determining means determines whether power is supplied from the power supply means to the wireless communication means,

the emergency signal detecting means determines whether an emergency signal is outputted from an onboard electronic control unit,

the signal transmission instructing means issues an instruction to the wireless communication means for transmitting an emergency report signal to the outside on a condition that the emergency signal is detected while the power is supplied from the power supply means to the wireless communication means,

the integration value calculating means calculates the integration value of current fed from the battery after the battery starts discharging,

the integration value comparing means compares the integration value with a reference value and determines whether the integration value is equal to or larger than the reference value,

the calculation halting means temporarily stops the calculation of the integration value at least until the transmission of the emergency signal from the wireless communication means to the outside is completed on a condition that the emergency signal is detected by the emergency signal detecting means, and

the power supply halting means stops the power supply from the power supply means to the wireless communication means on a condition that the emergency signal is not detected by the emergency signal detecting means while the integration value is still smaller than the reference value.

17. The onboard wireless communication system according to claim 16, wherein the control means further includes integration value resetting means that resets the integration value at a time on a condition that the emergency signal is detected while the integration value is still smaller than the reference value.

18. The onboard wireless communication system according to claim 16, wherein the emergency signal detecting means determines whether the emergency signal is inputted from the onboard electronic control unit immediately after the battery starts discharging.

19. An onboard wireless communication system comprising:

wireless communication means that transmits a signal to an outside;

power supply means that supplies power from a battery to the wireless communication means; and

control means that controls the power supply from the battery to the wireless communication means and transmission of an emergency report signal from the wireless communication means to the outside, wherein

the control means includes power supply determining means, emergency signal detecting means, signal transmission instructing means, integration value calculating means, integration value comparing means, power supply halting means, and comparison halting means,

the power supply determining means determines whether power is supplied from the power supply means to the wireless communication means,

the emergency signal detecting means determines whether an emergency signal is outputted from an onboard electronic control unit,

the signal transmission instructing means issues an instruction to the wireless communication means for transmitting an emergency report signal to the outside on a condition that the emergency signal is detected while the power is supplied from the power supply means to the wireless communication means,

the integration value calculating means calculates the integration value of current fed from the battery after the battery starts discharging,

the integration value comparing means compares the integration value with a reference value and determines whether the integration value is equal to or larger than the reference value,

the power supply halting means stops the power supply from the power supply means to the wireless communication means on a condition that the integration value is equal to or larger than the reference value, and

the comparison halting means stops the comparison between the integration value and the reference value at least until the control means completes the transmission of the emergency report signal from the wireless communication means to the outside when the emergency signal is detected by the emergency signal detecting means.

20. The onboard wireless communication system according to claim 19, wherein the emergency signal detecting means determines whether the emergency signal is inputted from the onboard electronic control unit immediately after the battery starts discharging.

21. An onboard wireless communication system comprising:

wireless communication means that transmits a signal to an outside;

power supply means that supplies power from a battery to the wireless communication means; and

control means that controls the power supply from the battery to the wireless communication means and transmission of an emergency report signal from the wireless communication means to the outside, wherein

the control means includes power supply determining means, emergency signal detecting means, signal transmission instructing means, integration value calculating means, integration value comparing means, power supply halting means, and power supply maintaining means,

the power supply determining means determines whether power is supplied from the power supply means to the wireless communication means,

the emergency signal detecting means determines whether an emergency signal is outputted from an onboard electronic control unit,

the signal transmission instructing means issues an instruction to the wireless communication means for transmitting an emergency report signal to the outside on a condition that the emergency signal is detected while the power is supplied from the power supply means to the wireless communication means,

the integration value calculating means calculates the integration value of current fed from the battery after the battery starts discharging,

the integration value comparing means compares the integration value with a reference value and determines whether the integration value is equal to or larger than the reference value,

the power supply halting means stops the power supply from the power supply means to the wireless communication means on a condition that the integration value is equal to or larger than the reference value, and

the power supply maintaining means maintains the power supply from the power supply means to the wireless communication means at least until the control means completes the transmission of the emergency report signal from the wireless communication means to the outside even on a condition that the emergency signal is detected by the emergency signal detecting means.

22. The onboard wireless communication system according to claim 21, wherein the emergency signal detecting means determines whether the emergency signal is inputted from the onboard electronic control unit immediately after the battery starts discharging.