Over-the-Air Issue Reporting From Vehicles

• US 20120126963A1
• Filed: 11/24/2010
• Published: 05/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Lewis, Derek Lane
• Granted Patent: US 8,599,000 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/425.5
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

Systems and methods for occupant reporting of a vehicle issue over-the-air from within a vehicle include a cellular device in the vehicle that establishes a connection with a cellular network. A user interface includes a display that provides occupant selectable menu options for reporting a vehicle issue. A processing system generates issue data based on a selected menu option. The issue data is selectably provided to one or more issue receiving servers including a first issue receiving server associated with a first organization and a second issue receiving server associated with a second, different organization using the cellular network.

Claims

1. A system for occupant reporting of a vehicle issue over-the-air from within a vehicle, the system comprising:

a cellular device in the vehicle that establishes a connection with a cellular network;

a user interface including a display that provides occupant selectable menu options for reporting a vehicle issue; and

a processing system that generates issue data based on a selected menu option;

wherein the issue data is selectably provided to one or more issue receiving servers including a first issue receiving server associated with a first organization and a second issue receiving server associated with a second, different organization using the cellular network.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising an issue processing server that receives the issue data.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the issue processing server includes software that connects to a website provided by at least one of the first and second issue receiving servers and automatically populates a field provided by the website with the issue data.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising an issue detection system within the vehicle, the issue detection system providing issue information to the processing system.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first issue receiving server is associated with a government agency and the second issue receiving server is associated with a vehicle manufacturer.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the cellular device is a digital communications module.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the cellular device is a portable cellular phone.

8. A method for occupant reporting of a vehicle issue over-the-air from within a vehicle, the method comprising:

establishing a connection with a cellular network using a cellular device in a vehicle;

selecting an issue menu option provided on a display of a user interface;

generating issue data based on the selected issue menu option; and

selectably providing the issue data to one or more issue receiving servers including a first issue receiving server associated with a first organization and a second issue receiving server associated with a second, different organization using the cellular network.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising providing the issue data to an issue processing server using the cellular network.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the issue processing server connects to a website provided by at least one of the first and second issue receiving servers, the issue processing server automatically populating a field provided by the website with the issue data.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising an issue detection system providing issue information to a processing system, the processing system generating the issue data.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the first issue receiving server is associated with a government agency and the second issue receiving server is associated with a vehicle manufacturer.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the cellular device is a digital communications module.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the cellular device is a portable cellular phone.

15. A system for occupant reporting of a vehicle issue over-the-air from within a vehicle, the system comprising:

a cellular device in the vehicle that establishes a connection with a cellular network;

a user interface includes a display that provides an issue reporting screen where, upon occupant actuation of an issue reporting element, the issue reporting screen provides selectable menu options for reporting a vehicle issue; and

a processing system that generates issue data based on an occupant selected menu option;

wherein the issue data is provided to an issue receiving server using the cellular network.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the issue receiving server is a first issue receiving server associated with a first organization, the system further comprising a second issue receiving server associated with a second, different organization, wherein the issue data is selectably provided to one or both of the first and second issue receiving servers.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the first issue receiving server is associated with a government agency and the second issue receiving server is associated with a vehicle manufacturer.

18. The system of claim 15 further comprising an issue processing server that receives the issue data.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the issue processing server includes software that connects to a website provided by the issue receiving server and automatically populates a field provided by the website with the issue data.

20. The system of claim 15 further comprising an issue detection system within the vehicle, the issue detection system providing issue information to the processing system.