In-vehicle emergency call apparatus

• US 20080076384A1
• Filed: 09/19/2007
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Sakai, Hiroshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,260,251 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0027 Post collision measures, e.g. notifying emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01088 wireless
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/013 including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems

Abstract

An in-vehicle emergency call apparatus takes in positioning data from a GPS receiver instead of from a navigation system. If the positioning data from the GPS receiver changes when the input of the ignition signal is off, the in-vehicle emergency call apparatus determines that the ignition signal breaks down, and failure of the ignition signal is reported to the user.

Claims

1. An emergency call apparatus for a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a positioning unit configured to acquire positioning data indicating a current position;

a control unit configured to transmit to a service center an emergency call signal including the positioning data acquired by the positioning unit when a start trigger occurs, on condition that an input of an ignition signal is on; and

a positioning data comparing unit configured to compare first positioning data with second positioning data, both positioning data being acquired by the positioning unit when an input of the ignition signal is off and at different time points separated from each other by a predetermined time period,

wherein the control unit determines and reports that the ignition signal fails, when the positioning data comparing unit determines that the both positioning data change from each other.

2. The emergency call apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the first and second positioning data are taken in by the positioning data comparing unit from the positioning unit without a navigation apparatus intermediated.

3. A method for informing a failure of an ignition signal in a vehicle,

performing a first determination for an ignition signal being off;

taking in first positioning data indicating a current position of the vehicle after the first determination;

performing a second determination for an ignition signal being off after acquiring the first positioning data;

taking in second positioning data indicating a current position of the vehicle after the second determination;

determining whether the first positioning data and second positioning data change from each other by more than a predetermined value; and

determining a failure of the ignition signal when it is determined that the first positioning data and second positioning data change from each other by more than the predetermined value.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the method is cooperative with another method provided in the vehicle for transmitting to a service center an emergency call signal including positioning data of the vehicle when a start trigger occurs, on condition that an input of an ignition signal is on; and

the positioning data are taken in from a positioning unit provided in the vehicle without using a navigation apparatus.