Vehicle-mounted device control system

• US 20100057306A1
• Filed: 06/30/2008
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ishii, Eiichi, Hayashi, Takashi, Takahara, Masatoshi, Obayashi, Kazuyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 10,059,284 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/48
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/72 Charging station selection relying on external data
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0084 relating to control modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0231 Circuits relating to the driving or the functioning of the vehicle monitoring tyres B60C23/00; indicating overspeed B60K31/00; for dash boards B60K37/00, B60Q3/10; for indicating emergencies B60Q1/52; brake control systems B60T; registering or indicating the working of vehicles G07C5/00; measuring distance G01C, e.g. combinations of speed and distance G01C23/00; engine indicators G01L; measuring speed or acceleration G01P
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/12 using control strategies taking into account route information estimation or calculation of non-directly measurable driving parameters B60W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0064 using a remote, e.g. cordless, transmitter or receiver unit, e.g. remote keypad or mobile phone
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/215 Selection or confirmation of options
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A vehicle-mounted device control system includes a first vehicle-mounted device, a second vehicle-mounted device, and a control unit connected to the first vehicle-mounted device and the second vehicle-mounted device. The control unit includes signal transmission means that transmits a predetermined signal to the first vehicle-mounted device, cooperative control means that performs cooperative control in which the second vehicle-mounted device is controlled using information used by the first vehicle-mounted device when the first vehicle-mounted device responds to the predetermined signal, and alternative control means that performs alternative control in which the second vehicle-mounted device is controlled without using information, used by the first vehicle-mounted device, when the first vehicle-mounted device does not respond to the predetermined signal.

Claims

1. A vehicle-mounted device control system comprising:

a first vehicle-mounted device;

a second vehicle-mounted device; and

a control unit connected to said first vehicle-mounted device and said second vehicle-mounted device wherein

said control unit comprises;

signal transmission means that transmits a predetermined signal to said first vehicle-mounted device;

cooperative control means that performs cooperative control in which, when said first vehicle-mounted device responds to the predetermined signal, said second vehicle-mounted device is controlled using information used by said first vehicle-mounted device; and

alternative control means that performs alternative control in which, when said first vehicle-mounted device does not respond to the predetermined signal, said second vehicle-mounted device is controlled without using information used by said first vehicle-mounted device.

2. The vehicle-mounted device control system according to claim 1 wherein

said control unit further comprises inquiry means that communicates an inquiry to an operator via an output unit connected to said control unit when said first vehicle-mounted device does not respond to the predetermined signal, said inquiry querying whether or not said first vehicle-mounted device is a specification conforming device satisfying specifications predetermined for the cooperative control.

3. The vehicle-mounted device control system according to claim 2 wherein

said control unit further comprises notification means that accepts a response to the inquiry from the operator via an input unit connected to said control unit and, if the response indicates that said first vehicle-mounted device is an alternative device at least a part of which does not satisfy the specifications, outputs a notification, which indicates that the cooperative control will not be carried out, via said output unit.

4. The vehicle-mounted device control system according to claim 3 wherein

said control unit further comprises:

type recording means that records a type record in a storage unit connected to said control unit when said first vehicle-mounted device is an alternative device, said type record indicating that said first vehicle-mounted device is an alternative device; and

type record deletion means that deletes the type record.

5. The vehicle-mounted device control system according to claim 4 wherein

said control unit further comprises inquiry omission means that omits the inquiry if the type record is detected in the storage unit before the inquiry is issued, said type record indicating that said first vehicle-mounted device is an alternative device.

6. The vehicle-mounted device control system according to claim 3 wherein