COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, COMMUNICATION DEVICE MOUNTED IN VEHICLE, AND SWITCHING APPARATUS

• US 20120077471A1
• Filed: 09/21/2011
• Published: 03/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: HAYASHI, Keisaku, Kanno, Yasunori
• Granted Patent: US 9,125,023 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/367 Traffic or load control
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42212 Call pickup comprising simultaneous alerting H04M3/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

In a communication system for conducting wireless communication between communication units mounted in vehicles, workload information indicating a workload of a driver of each vehicle is generated. When a communication request for requesting communication is transmitted from the communication unit of a first vehicle, it is determined whether the workload of a driver of the first vehicle and the workload of a driver of a second vehicle are lower than a predetermined level. When the workload of the driver of the first vehicle and the workload of the driver of the second vehicle are determined lower than the predetermined level, an incoming call is notified to the driver of the second vehicle.

Claims

1. A communication system for conducting wireless communication between a first vehicle and a second vehicle, comprising:

a first communication unit disposed in the first vehicle;

a second communication unit disposed in the second vehicle;

a first workload information generating element disposed in the first communication unit, the first workload information generating element generating first workload information that indicates a first workload that a first driver of the first vehicle undergoes when operating the first vehicle;

a second workload information generating element disposed in the second communication unit, the second workload information generating element generating second workload information that indicates a second workload that a second driver of the second vehicle undergoes when operating the second vehicle;

a workload state determining element that determines whether or not the first workload and the second workload are lower than a predetermined level based on the first workload information and the second workload information, when the first communication unit generates a communication request for requesting communication with the second communication unit; and

an incoming call notifying element that notifies the second driver of an incoming call on condition that the first workload and the second workload are determined lower than the predetermined level by the workload state determining element.

2. The communication system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a workload information acquiring element that acquires the workload information together with the communication request, wherein

when the first communication unit generates the communication request, the second communication unit uses the workload information acquiring element to acquire the first workload information together with the communication request, and uses the workload state determining element to determine whether the first workload and the second workload are lower than the predetermined level.

3. The communication system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a workload information acquiring element that acquires the workload information; and

a determination result transmitting element that transmits a determination result made by the workload state determining element, wherein

when the first communication unit generates the communication request, the first communication unit uses the workload information acquiring element to acquire the second workload information from the second communication unit, uses the workload state determining element to determine whether the first workload and the second workload are lower than the predetermined level, uses the determination result transmitting element to transmit the determination result to the second communication unit on condition that the determination result indicates that the first workload and the second workload are lower than the predetermined level, and the second communication unit uses the notifying element to notify the incoming call when receiving the determination result transmitted by the detection result transmitting element.

4. The communication system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a switching apparatus that is disposed external to the first vehicle and the second vehicle, the switching apparatus permitting to initiate wireless communication between the first communication unit and the second communication unit, wherein

the switching apparatus includes;

an workload information acquiring element that acquires the first workload information and the second workload information from the first communication unit and the second communication unit, respectively;

the workload state determining element to determine the first workload and the second workload based on the first workload information and the second workload information acquired by the workload information acquiring element; and

an initiation timing control element that transmits the communication request to the second communication unit on condition that a determination result of the workload state determining element indicates that the first workload and the second workload are lower than the predetermined level, wherein

the second communication unit uses the notifying element to notify the second driver of the incoming call when receiving the communication request transmitted by the initiation timing control element.

5. The communication system according to claim 4, wherein

the switching apparatus further includes a delay information transmitting element that transmits delay information indicating a transmission delay of the communication request to the second vehicle due to the first workload and the second workload being higher than the predetermined level, and

the first communication unit uses a delay information notifying element to notify the first driver of the transmission delay of the communication request to the second communication unit when receiving the delay information from the delay information transmitting element.

6. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein

each of the first workload information and the second workload information is generated based on a planned travel route of the corresponding vehicle.

7. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein

each of the first workload information and the second workload information is generated based on correlation data that indicates a correlation between a driving operation taken by a driver when driving a predetermined route and a workload that the driver undergoes during the driving operation and planned travel route data of the corresponding vehicle, and each of the first workload information and the second workload information indicates a change in the corresponding workload that the driver undergoes when driving the vehicle along a planned travel route indicated by the planned travel route data.

8. The communication system according to claim 7, wherein

the workload state determining element includes:

a simultaneous low-load period detecting part that detects a simultaneous low-load period where the first workload and the second workload are lower than the predetermined level based on the first workload information and the second workload information; and

a low-load period arrival determining element that determines whether or not the simultaneous low-load period arrives.

9. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein

each of the first communication unit and the second communication unit includes a communication device and a communication terminal, the communication device being mounted in the corresponding vehicle and connected to the communication terminal, and the communication terminal conducting communication and transmitting and receiving the communication request and the workload information.

10. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein

the first communication unit includes a first communication device mounted in the first vehicle and a first communication terminal connected to the first communication device,

the second communication unit includes a second communication device mounted in the second vehicle and a second communication terminal connected to the second communication device,

each of the first workload information and the second workload information is generated based on correlation data that indicates a correlation between a driving operation taken by a driver when the driver drives a vehicle along a predetermined route and a workload that the driver undergoes during the driving operation and planned travel route data of the corresponding vehicle, and each of the first workload information and the second workload information indicates a change in the corresponding workload that the driver undergoes when driving the vehicle along a planned travel route indicated by the planned travel route data,

when the communication request is transmitted from the first communication terminal to the second communication terminal, the first communication device permits the first communication terminal to transmit the first workload information generated by the first workload information generating element, and the second communication device uses the workload state determining element to detect a simultaneous low-load period where the first workload and the second workload are lower than the predetermined level based on the first workload information and the second workload information, and uses the notifying element to notify the second driver of the incoming call on condition that the simultaneous low-load condition arrives.

11. The communication system according to claim 10, wherein

the second communication device permits the second communication terminal to transmit the second workload information to the first communication terminal, when the workload state determining element determines that the simultaneous low-load condition is not arrived, and

the first communication device detects the simultaneous low-load period using the workload state determining element when the first communication terminal receives the second workload information from the second communication device, and notifies the first driver of a period of time until the simultaneous low-load period arrives.

12. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein

the first communication unit includes a first communication device mounted in the first vehicle and a first communication terminal connected to the first communication device,

the second communication unit includes a second communication device mounted in the second vehicle and a second communication terminal connected to the second communication device,

each of the first workload information and the second workload information is generated based on correlation data that indicates a correlation between a driving operation taken by a driver when the driver drives a vehicle along a predetermined route and a workload that the driver undergoes during the driving operation and planned travel route data of the corresponding vehicle, and each of the first workload information and the second workload information indicates a change in the corresponding workload that the driver undergoes when driving the vehicle along a planned travel route indicated by the planned travel route data,

the communication system further comprising:

a switching apparatus that is disposed external to the first vehicle and the second vehicle, the switching apparatus permitting to initiate wireless communication between the first communication unit and the second communication unit, wherein

the first communication device permits the first communication terminal to transmit the first workload information to the switching apparatus,

the second communication device permits the second communication terminal to transmit the second workload information to the switching apparatus,

when the first communication terminal transmits the communication request to the switching apparatus, the switching apparatus detects a simultaneous low-load period where the first workload and the second workload are lower than the predetermined level using the workload state determining element, and transmits the communication request to the second communication terminal on condition that the simultaneous low-load period arrives.

13. The communication system according to claim 12, wherein

the switching apparatus transmits delay information to the first communication terminal, the delay information indicating delay of transmission of the communication request to the second communication terminal due to the simultaneous low-load period being not arrived, and

the first communication device notifies the first driver of the delay of the transmission of the communication request to the second communication terminal when the first communication terminal receives the delay information.

14. A communication device to be mounted in a vehicle and connected to a communication terminal that conducts wireless communication, the communication device comprising:

a workload information generating element that generates workload information based on correlation data indicating a correlation between a driving operation taken by a driver when the driver drives a vehicle along a predetermined route and a workload that the driver undergoes during the driving operation and planned travel route data of the vehicle, the workload information indicating a change in a workload of a driver that the driver undergoes when driving the vehicle along a planned travel route indicated by the planned travel route data, and

a workload information transmitting element that permits the communication terminal to transmit the workload information generated by the workload information generating element to another communication terminal, when the communication terminal transmits a communication request to initiate communication with the another communication terminal.

15. A communication device to be mounted in a first vehicle and connected to a first communication terminal that conducts wireless communication with a second communication terminal, which is connected to another communication device mounted in a second vehicle, the communication device comprising:

a workload information generating element that generates workload information based on correlation data indicating a correlation between a driving operation taken by a driver when the driver drives a vehicle along a predetermined route and a workload that the driver undergoes during the driving operation and planned travel route data regarding the first vehicle, the workload information indicating a change in a workload that the driver undergoes when driving the first vehicle along a planned travel route indicated by the planned travel route data;

a workload information acquiring element that acquires a workload information regarding a driver of the second vehicle via the first communication terminal, when the first communication terminal receives a communication request from the second communication terminal;

a low-load period detecting element that detects a simultaneous low-load period where the workload of the driver of the first vehicle and the workload of the driver of the second vehicle are lower than a predetermined level; and

an incoming call notifying element that notifies the driver of the first vehicle of an incoming call on condition that the simultaneous low-load period arrives.

16. A communication device to be mounted in a vehicle and connected to a communication terminal that conducts wireless communication with another communication terminal through a switching apparatus, the switching apparatus controlling initiation of communication between the communication terminals, the communication device comprising:

a workload information generating element that generates workload information based on correlation data indicating a correlation between a driving operation taken by a driver when the driver drives a vehicle along a predetermined route and a workload that the driver undergoes during the driving operation and planned travel route data of the vehicle, the workload information indicating a change in a workload of a driver that the driver undergoes when driving the vehicle along a planned travel route indicated by the planned travel route data; and

a workload information transmitting element that permits the communication terminal to transmit the workload information generated by the workload information generating element to the switching apparatus.

17. A switching apparatus for initiating wireless communication between at least first and second communication terminals, the first communication terminal being connected to a first communication device mounted in a first vehicle, the second communication terminal being connected to a second communication device mounted in a second vehicle, the switching apparatus comprising:

a workload information receiving element that receives workload information generated in the first and second communication devices through the first and second communication terminals, respectively, the workload information indicating a change in a workload that a driver undergoes when operating a corresponding vehicle along a planned travel route;

a low-load period detecting element that detects a simultaneous low-load period where the workload of the first vehicle and the workload of the second vehicle are lower than a predetermined level based on the workload information received by the workload information receiving element, when receiving a communication request transmitted from the first communication terminal for requesting initiation of communication with the second communication terminal; and

an initiation timing control element that transmits the communication request to the second communication terminal on condition that the simultaneous low-load period arrives.

18. A communication device to be mounted in a vehicle and connected to a communication terminal that conducts wireless communication with another communication terminal, the communication device comprising:

a workload information generating element that generates workload information based on correlation data indicating a correlation between a driving operation taken by a driver when the driver drives a vehicle along a predetermined route and a workload that the driver undergoes during the driving operation and planned travel route data, the workload information indicating a change in a workload that a driver undergoes when operating the vehicle along a planned travel route indicated by the planned travel route data;

a low-load period detecting element that detects a low-load period where the workload of the driver is lower than a predetermined level, when an instruction to transmit a communication request for initiating communication with another communication terminal from the communication terminal is made; and

a transmitting element that permits the communication terminal to transmit the communication request on condition that the low-load period arrives.

19. The communication device according to claim 18, further comprising:

a notifying element that notifies the communication terminal of a period of time until the low-load period arrives.