DRUNK DRIVING PREVENTION SYSTEM AND EXTERNAL SERVER USED FOR THE SAME

• US 20120245763A1
• Filed: 03/26/2012
• Published: 09/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Mizuno, Mina
• Application Number:
  US13/429,529
• Publication Number:
  US 20120245763A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/063 preventing starting of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/043 Identity of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/24 Drug level, e.g. alcohol
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data

Abstract

A drunk driving prevention system is equipped with an external server and an on-vehicle component. The on-vehicle component is equipped with a detection unit that detects an alcohol concentration of a driver, an acquisition unit that acquires information on a current position of a vehicle, and a communication unit that transmits to the external server the alcohol concentration as well as the current position information. The external server is equipped with a storage unit that stores a plurality of criteria that relate to an alcohol concentration falling under drunk driving and are different from one another as a result of geographical differences, a communication unit that receives the alcohol concentration and the current position information, and a determination unit that determines, based on that one of the criteria, whether the alcohol concentration received is an alcohol concentration falling under drunk driving.

Claims

1. A drunk driving prevention system comprising:

an external server; and

an on-vehicle component, wherein

the on-vehicle component is equipped with a detection unit that detects an alcohol concentration in an exhalation of a driver of a vehicle, on which the on-vehicle component is mounted, an acquisition unit that acquires information on a current position of the vehicle, and an on-vehicle side communication unit that transmits to the external server the alcohol concentration detected as well as the information on the current position of the vehicle, and

the external server is equipped with a storage unit that stores a plurality of criteria that relate to an alcohol concentration falling under drunk driving and are different from one another as a result of geographical differences, an external server side communication unit that receives the alcohol concentration and the information on the current position of the vehicle, which are transmitted from the on-vehicle component, and a determination unit that determines, based on that one of the criteria in the storage unit which corresponds to the current position of the vehicle, whether the alcohol concentration received is the alcohol concentration falling under drunk driving.

2. The drunk driving prevention system according to claim 1, wherein

the external server is further equipped with a reporting unit that reports, when the determination unit makes an affirmative determination, the affirmative determination as well as identification information on the driver of the vehicle to a police or another drunk driving control organization.

3. The drunk driving prevention system according to claim 1, wherein

when the determination unit makes an affirmative determination, the external server transmits a driving stop command for the vehicle from the external server side communication unit to the on-vehicle component, and

the on-vehicle component is further equipped with a restraint unit that restrains driving of the vehicle from being started or continued upon receiving from the on-vehicle side communication unit a driving stop command for the vehicle from the external server.

4. The drunk driving prevention system according to claim 2, wherein

the reporting unit reports the information on the current position of the vehicle as well to the police or another drunk driving control organization.

5. The drunk driving prevention system according to claim 3, wherein

the restraint unit suspends fuel supply when an engine of the vehicle is in operation, and prohibits the engine of the vehicle from being started when the engine is out of operation.

6. A drunk driving prevention system comprising:

an external server; and

an on-vehicle component, wherein

the on-vehicle component is equipped with a detection unit that detects an alcohol concentration in an exhalation of a driver of a vehicle, on which the on-vehicle component is mounted, an acquisition unit that acquires information on a current position of the vehicle, and an on-vehicle side transmission unit that transmits to the external server the information on the current position of the vehicle,

the external server is equipped with a storage unit that stores a plurality of criteria that relate to an alcohol concentration falling under drunk driving and are different from one another as a result of geographical differences, a reception unit that receives the information on the current position of the vehicle, which is transmitted from the on-vehicle component, and an external server side transmission unit that transmits to the on-vehicle component that one of the criteria in the storage unit which corresponds to the current position of the vehicle, and

the on-vehicle component is further equipped with a determination unit that determines, based on the criterion transmitted from the external server, whether the alcohol concentration detected is the alcohol concentration falling under drunk driving.

7. The drunk driving prevention system according to claim 6, wherein

the on-vehicle component is further equipped with a reporting unit that, when the determination unit makes an affirmative determination, reports the affirmative determination as well as identification information on the driver of the vehicle to a police or another drunk driving control organization.

8. The drunk driving prevention system according to claim 6, wherein

the on-vehicle component is further equipped with a restraint unit that restrains driving of the vehicle from being started or continued when the determination unit makes an affirmative determination.

9. The drunk driving prevention system according to claim 7, wherein

the reporting unit reports the information on the current position of the vehicle as well to the police or another drunk driving control organization.

10. The drunk driving prevention system according to claim 8, wherein

the restraint unit suspends fuel supply when an engine of the vehicle is in operation, and prohibits the engine of the vehicle from being started when the engine is out of operation.

11. An external server that prevents drunk driving via communication with an on-vehicle component, comprising:

a storage unit that stores a plurality of criteria that relate to an alcohol concentration falling under drunk driving and are different from one another as a result of geographical differences;

a reception unit that receives from the on-vehicle component an alcohol concentration in an exhalation of a driver of a vehicle, on which the on-vehicle component is mounted, and information on a current position of the vehicle;

a determination unit that determines, based on that one of the criteria in the storage unit which corresponds to the current position of the vehicle, whether the alcohol concentration received is the alcohol concentration falling under drunk driving, and

a transmission unit that transmits to the on-vehicle component a driving stop command for restraining driving of the vehicle from being started or continued, when the determination unit makes an affirmative determination.

12. An external server that prevents drunk driving via communication with an on-vehicle component, comprising:

a storage unit that stores a plurality of criteria that relate to an alcohol concentration falling under drunk driving and are different from one another as a result of geographical differences;

a reception unit that receives from the on-vehicle component information on a current position of a vehicle, on which the on-vehicle component is mounted; and

a transmission unit that transmits to the on-vehicle component that one of the criteria in the storage unit which corresponds to the current position of the vehicle.