Remote monitoring system and method

• US 20050273219A1
• Filed: 05/26/2005
• Published: 12/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Shimomura, Toshio, Shimonomoto, Ifushi, Kitao, Junichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,245,997 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/00 Fittings or systems for preventing or indicating unauthorised use or theft of vehicles locks for vehicles E05B77/00-E05B85/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1012 Zone surveillance means, e.g. parking lots, truck depots
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2009 Antitheft state indicator
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/209 Remote starting of engine
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/305 using a camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates

Abstract

A smart key carried with a user is provided with switches for monitoring a vehicle in remote places, such as a departure-time monitor switch, a return-time monitor switch and an all item monitor switch. The switches are associated with monitor information indicating various vehicle states. When the departure-time monitor switch is operated, the cellular phone receives monitor information such as parking position, rainfall state, etc. useful to the user at departure time from the vehicle. Similarly, when the return-time monitor switch is operated, the cellular phone receives monitor information useful at return time such as door open/closed state and lock state. When the all item monitor switch is operated, the cellular phone receives monitor information of all monitor items.

Claims

1. A vehicle remote monitoring system comprising:

a communication terminal including at least one switch unit for requesting vehicle information about a vehicle or its surroundings, the communication terminal transmitting a request signal for requesting vehicle information corresponding to the operated switch unit to the vehicle when the switch unit is operated, and receiving and outputting the vehicle information transmitted from the vehicle in response to the request signal; and

a vehicle information communication device, mounted in the vehicle, for obtaining the vehicle information corresponding to the request signal and wirelessly transmitting the information to the communication terminal upon receiving the request signal from the communication terminal,

wherein the switch unit is associated with plural pieces of the vehicle information, and

wherein the vehicle information communication device obtains the plural pieces of vehicle information and wirelessly transmits the plural pieces to the communication terminal upon receiving the request signal corresponding to the switch unit associated with the plural pieces of vehicle information.

2. The vehicle remote monitoring system according to claim 1,

wherein each switch unit is constructed with a mechanical switch.

3. The vehicle remote monitoring system according to claim 1,

wherein correspondence between each switch unit and the vehicle information is variable settable by a user.

4. The vehicle remote monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein:

the communication terminal includes an operation device and a transceiver;

the operation device includes the switch unit and an operation signal transmitting unit that transmits an operation signal corresponding to the operated switch unit when the switch unit is operated; and

the transceiver includes an operation signal receiving unit that receives an operation signal from the operation device, a request signal transmitting unit that transmits the request signal corresponding to a switch unit operated in the operation device based on the operation signal when the operation signal is received in the operation signal receiving unit, a vehicle information receiving unit that receives the vehicle information, and a vehicle information outputting unit that outputs the vehicle information received by the vehicle information receiving unit.

5. The vehicle remote monitoring system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a relay device that relays communications between the communication terminal and the vehicle information communication device,

wherein the relay device wirelessly transmits a relay request signal corresponding to the request signal to the vehicle when receiving the request signal from the communication terminal, and transmits the vehicle information to the communication terminal when receiving the vehicle information corresponding to the relay request signal from the vehicle,

wherein the communication terminal transmits the request signal to the relay device and receives the vehicle information transmitted from the relay device, and

wherein the vehicle information communication device receives the relay request signal transmitted from the relay device in exchange for the request signal from the communication terminal, and obtains the vehicle information corresponding to the received relay request signal and wirelessly transmits the information to the relay device.

6. The vehicle remote monitoring system according to claim 5,

wherein the relay device transmits an inquiry signal for making an inquiry about whether to transmit vehicle information set in advance correspondingly to the time to the communication terminal when a preset time passes, transmits the relay request signal corresponding to the vehicle information to the vehicle information communication device when a response signal indicating transmission is transmitted from the communication terminal in response to the inquiry signal, and relays the vehicle information transmitted from the vehicle information communication device in response to the relay request signal and transmits the information to the communication terminal, and

wherein the communication terminal includes a response input unit for a user to respond to the inquiry signal, transmits user'"'"'s response contents by the response input unit to the relay device as the response signal, and outputs the vehicle information when receiving the vehicle information for the response signal.

7. The vehicle remote monitoring system according to claim 1,

Wherein the vehicle information communication device obtains vehicle information set in advance correspondingly to time and transmits the vehicle information to the communication terminal when a preset time passes, and

wherein the communication terminal outputs the vehicle information upon receiving the transmitted vehicle information.

8. The vehicle remote monitoring system according to claim 6,

wherein the vehicle information set in advance correspondingly to the time is information corresponding to each switch unit.

9. A remote monitoring method comprising steps of:

detecting which one of a plurality of switches of a communication terminal is operated by a user to request monitor information about a monitor object located away from the communication terminal;

transmitting a request signal from the communication terminal, the request signal being indicative of the switch detected by the detecting step as being operated by the user;

collecting monitor information about the monitor object in response to the request signal, the monitor information including a plurality of states of the monitor object and variable for each switch indicated by the request signal;

transmitting the monitor information provided by the collecting step from the monitor object; and

displaying on the communication terminal the plurality of states included in the monitor information transmitted from the monitor object.

10. The remote monitoring method according to claim 9,

wherein the monitor object is a vehicle,

wherein the plurality of switches include a first switch for monitoring departure-time states of the vehicle and a second switch for monitoring return-time states of the vehicle.

11. The remote monitoring method according to claim 9,

wherein the plurality of states includes at least one of a vehicle door state, a vehicle interior image, a vehicle parking position, a vehicle interior/exterior temperature and a rainfall state.

12. The remote monitoring method according to claim 9, further comprising step of:

relaying, by an information center, the request signal to the monitor object and the monitor information to the communication device.

13. The remote monitoring method according to claim 9,

wherein the monitor object is a vehicle, and

wherein the plurality of switches are provided in a vehicle door remote control device in addition to a vehicle door control switch of the remote control device.