Vehicle information notification device

• US 20090043449A1
• Filed: 07/29/2008
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
• Inventors: Matsuura, Michihiro, Terada, Minoru, Hattori, Toshihiro, Matsuura, Mitsuyasu
• Granted Patent: US 8,090,496 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

A vehicle information notification device for notifying vehicle information to a driver of a vehicle with a notification element, the device includes: a first-ride determination element for determining whether it is a first ride of the vehicle for the driver; and a controller for notifying the vehicle information via the notification element when the first-ride determination element determines that it is the first ride. By using the above device, the vehicle information is notified to the driver when the driver rides on the vehicle for the first time. Thus, anxiety of the driver is reduced.

Claims

1. A vehicle information notification device for notifying vehicle information to a driver of a vehicle with a notification element, the device comprising:

a first-ride determination element for determining whether it is a first ride of the vehicle for the driver; and

a controller for notifying the vehicle information via the notification element when the first-ride determination element determines that it is the first ride.

2. The device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a driver specific information obtaining element for obtaining driver'"'"'s specific information of the driver getting in the vehicle; and

a memory for storing the driver'"'"'s specific information obtained by the driver specific information obtaining element,

wherein the first-ride determination element checks a current driver'"'"'s specific information obtained by the driver specific information obtaining element with a previous driver'"'"'s specific information stored in the memory so that the first-ride determination element determines whether it is the first ride of the vehicle for the driver.

3. The device according to claim 2,

wherein the driver specific information obtaining element includes a biological information obtaining element for obtaining biological information of the driver.

4. The device according to claim 3, further comprising:

a camera for taking an image of a face of the driver,

wherein the biological information obtaining element obtains the image of the face as the biological information of the driver from the camera.

5. The device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a portable element for being carried by the driver and for storing an user ID therein; and

a reader for reading out the user ID from the portable element, wherein the reader is disposed in the vehicle and provides the driver specific information obtaining element,

wherein the memory stores the user ID read by the reader, and

wherein the first-ride determination element checks a current user ID read by the reader with a previous user ID stored in the memory so that the first-ride determination element determines whether it is the first ride of the vehicle for the driver.

6. The device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an input element,

wherein the first-ride determination element executes a first inquiry process for outputting a first message via the notification element,

wherein the first message provides a first inquiry for asking the driver whether it is the first ride of the vehicle for the driver,

wherein the driver inputs a first answer of the first inquiry in the input element, and

wherein the first-ride determination element determines based on the first answer input in the input element whether it is the first ride of the vehicle for the driver.

7. The device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first-ride information input switch for inputting information about first ride of the driver when it is the first ride of the vehicle for the driver,

wherein the first-ride determination element determines based on the information input in the first-ride information input switch whether it is the first ride of the vehicle for the driver.

8. The device according to claim 1,

wherein the vehicle information to be notified via the notification element includes an insurance contract of the vehicle.

9. The device according to claim 1,

wherein the vehicle information to be notified via the notification element includes a specific function of the vehicle and a setting condition of the specific function.

10. The device according to claim 1,

wherein the vehicle information to be notified via the notification element includes at least one of a position of an in-vehicle switch, a position of a meter and an operation method of in-vehicle equipment.

11. The device according to claim 1,

wherein the vehicle information to be notified via the notification element includes vehicle characteristics of the vehicle.

12. The device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an input element; and

an insurance coverage determination element,

wherein the insurance coverage determination element executes a second inquiry process for outputting a second message via the notification element,

wherein the second message provides a second inquiry for asking the driver in order to determine whether an insurance contract of the vehicle covers driver'"'"'s ride,

wherein the driver inputs a second answer of the second inquiry in the input element,

wherein the insurance coverage determination element determines based on the second answer input in the input element whether the insurance contract of the vehicle covers the driver'"'"'s ride, and

wherein the insurance coverage determination element outputs insurance coverage determination result via the notification element.

13. The device according to claim 5, further comprising:

an insurance coverage determination element,

wherein the memory stores insurance information of the vehicle,

wherein the portable element stores personal insurance information for determining whether an insurance contract of the vehicle covers driver'"'"'s ride,

wherein the reader reads out the personal insurance information from the portable element,

wherein the insurance coverage determination element determines based on the insurance information stored in the memory and the personal insurance information read by the reader whether the insurance contract of the vehicle covers the driver'"'"'s ride, and

wherein the insurance coverage determination element outputs insurance coverage determination result via the notification element.

14. The device according to claim 2, further comprising:

an additional notification determination element for executing a third inquiry process for outputting a third message via the notification element;

an input element; and

a determination result storing element,

wherein the third message provides a third inquiry for asking the driver at a first-ride time whether it is necessary for the driver to notify the vehicle information after the first ride,

wherein the driver inputs a third answer of the third inquiry in the input element,

wherein the additional notification determination element determines based on the third answer input in the input element whether it is necessary for the driver to notify the vehicle information after the first ride,

wherein the determination result storing element stores additional notification determination result together with the driver'"'"'s specific information in the memory when the additional notification determination element determines that it is necessary for the driver to notify the vehicle information after the first ride, and

wherein the controller controls the notification element to notify the vehicle information when a current driver'"'"'s specific information obtained by the driver specific information obtaining element matches a previous driver'"'"'s specific information stored in the memory.

15. The device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a determination date storing element for storing a determination date together with the driver'"'"'s specific information in the memory,

wherein, at the determination date, the first-ride determination element determines whether it is the first ride of the vehicle for the driver, and

wherein the controller controls the notification element to notify the vehicle information when a predetermined time has elapsed since a previous determination date stored in the memory.

16. The device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a riding times determination element for determining a number of riding times of the vehicle for an individual driver based on the first-ride determination result of the first-ride determination element and the driver'"'"'s specific information obtained by the driver specific information obtaining element,

wherein the controller controls the notification element to notify a predetermined information corresponding to the number of riding times determined by the riding times determination element when the first-ride determination element determines that it is not the first ride of the vehicle for the driver.

17. The device according to claim 2, further comprising:

an elapsed time determination element for determining an elapsed time since a previous ride of an individual driver based on the first-ride determination result of the first-ride determination element and the driver'"'"'s specific information obtained by the driver specific information obtaining element,

wherein the controller controls the notification element to notify a predetermined information corresponding to the elapsed time determined by the elapsed time determination element when the first-ride determination element determines that it is not the first ride of the vehicle for the driver.

18. The device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of lights disposed around an operation portion in the vehicle; and

a microphone,

wherein the operation portion includes a plurality of operation elements, each of which corresponds to a respective light,

wherein the microphone inputs a voice data of the driver corresponding to one of the operation elements when the first-ride determination element determines that it is the first ride of the vehicle for the driver, and

wherein one light corresponding to the voice data turns on.