INFORMATION COMMUNICATION SYSTEM AND VEHICLE PORTABLE DEVICE

• US 20130162421A1
• Filed: 11/21/2012
• Published: 06/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omron Automotive Electronics Company Limited (Nidec Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Omron Automotive Electronics Company Limited (Nidec Corporation)
• Inventors: Takizawa, Koji, Nishidai, Tetsuo, Inaguma, Takahiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,878,661 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/438
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/00 Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor for lighting vehicle interior B60Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6075 adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces

Abstract

An information communication system has a vehicle portable device that conducts wireless communication with a vehicle, and a mobile terminal that includes a display part and conducts near-field wireless communication with the vehicle portable device. The vehicle portable device includes a vehicle information acquisition part that acquires vehicle information on the vehicle, wherein the vehicle information is transmitted from the vehicle by wireless communication, and a transmission controller that controls the transmission of the vehicle information to the mobile terminal by near-field wireless communication. The mobile terminal includes an execution controller that acquires the vehicle information transmitted from the vehicle portable device and controls execution of a predetermined program for displaying the vehicle information on the display part.

Claims

1. An information communication system comprising:

a vehicle portable device that conducts wireless communication with a vehicle; and

a mobile terminal that includes a display part and conducts near-field wireless communication with the vehicle portable device,

wherein the vehicle portable device includes;

a vehicle information acquisition part that acquires vehicle information on the vehicle, wherein the vehicle information is transmitted from the vehicle by wireless communication; and

a transmission controller that controls the transmission of the vehicle information to the mobile terminal by near-field wireless communication,

wherein the mobile terminal includes an execution controller that acquires the vehicle information transmitted from the vehicle portable device and controls execution of a predetermined program for displaying the vehicle information on the display part, and

wherein, when the near-field wireless communication is established between vehicle portable device and the mobile terminal;

the vehicle information acquisition part acquires the vehicle information from the vehicle,

the transmission controller transmits the vehicle information acquired from the vehicle to the mobile terminal, and

the execution controller starts up the program, acquires the vehicle information transmitted from the vehicle portable device, and displays the vehicle information on the display part.

2. The information communication system according to claim 1,

wherein the vehicle portable device is used to lock and unlock a door of the vehicle by wireless communication and further includes a storage in which the vehicle information is stored,

wherein, when the door of the vehicle is locked:

the vehicle information acquisition part acquires the vehicle information from the vehicle and stores the acquired vehicle information in the storage,

wherein, when the vehicle and the vehicle portable device can conduct the wireless communication with each other while the near-field wireless communication is established between the vehicle portable device and the mobile terminal;

the vehicle information acquisition part acquires the vehicle information from the vehicle and updates the vehicle information stored in the storage, and

the transmission controller transmits the vehicle information acquired from the vehicle to the mobile terminal, and

wherein, when the vehicle and the vehicle portable device cannot conduct the wireless communication with each other while the near-field wireless communication is established between the vehicle portable device and the mobile terminal;

the transmission controller transmits the vehicle information stored in the storage to the mobile terminal.

3. The information communication system according to claim 2,

wherein the vehicle information acquisition part stores acquired time information indicating a time the vehicle information is acquired in the storage together with vehicle information, and

wherein the transmission controller transmits the acquired time information to the mobile terminal together with the vehicle information.

4. The information communication system according to claim 2,

wherein, when the vehicle and the vehicle portable device can conduct the wireless communication with each other while the near-field wireless communication is established between the vehicle portable device and the mobile terminal:

the vehicle information acquisition part determines whether the vehicle information stored in the storage requires an update, acquires the vehicle information that requires the update from the vehicle, and updates the vehicle information stored in the storage, and

the transmission controller transmits the vehicle information acquired from the vehicle by the vehicle information acquisition part to the mobile terminal with respect to the vehicle information that requires the update, and transmits the vehicle information stored in the storage to the mobile terminal with respect to the vehicle information that does not require the update.

5. The information communication system according to claim 2,

wherein the vehicle information acquisition part stops the acquisition of the vehicle information from the vehicle for a predetermined time period since the door of the vehicle is locked, and

wherein, when the near-field wireless communication is established between the vehicle portable device and the mobile terminal within the predetermined time period since the door of the vehicle is locked:

the transmission controller transmits the vehicle information stored in the storage to the mobile terminal regardless whether the vehicle and the vehicle portable device can conduct the wireless communication with each other.

11. The information communication system according to claim 3,

wherein, when the vehicle and the vehicle portable device can conduct the wireless communication with each other while the near-field wireless communication is established between the vehicle portable device and the mobile terminal:

the vehicle information acquisition part determines whether the vehicle information stored in the storage requires an update, acquires the vehicle information that requires the update from the vehicle, and updates the vehicle information stored in the storage, and

the transmission controller transmits the vehicle information acquired from the vehicle by the vehicle information acquisition part to the mobile terminal with respect to the vehicle information that requires the update, and transmits the vehicle information stored in the storage to the mobile terminal with respect to the vehicle information that does not require the update.

12. The information communication system according to claim 3,

wherein the vehicle information acquisition part stops the acquisition of the vehicle information from the vehicle for a predetermined time period since the door of the vehicle is locked, and

wherein, when the near-field wireless communication is established between the vehicle portable device and the mobile terminal within the predetermined time period since the door of the vehicle is locked:

the transmission controller transmits the vehicle information stored in the storage to the mobile terminal regardless whether the vehicle and the vehicle portable device can conduct the wireless communication with each other.

13. The information communication system according to claim 4,

wherein the vehicle information acquisition part stops the acquisition of the vehicle information from the vehicle for a predetermined time period since the door of the vehicle is locked, and

wherein, when the near-field wireless communication is established between the vehicle portable device and the mobile terminal within the predetermined time period since the door of the vehicle is locked:

the transmission controller transmits the vehicle information stored in the storage to the mobile terminal regardless whether the vehicle and the vehicle portable device can conduct the wireless communication with each other.

6. A vehicle portable device comprising:

a wireless communication part that conducts wireless communication with a vehicle;

a near-field wireless communication part that conducts near-field wireless communication with a mobile terminal, wherein the mobile terminal includes a display part for displaying vehicle information on the vehicle;

a vehicle information acquisition part that acquires the vehicle information transmitted from the vehicle by wireless communication; and

a transmission controller that controls the vehicle information transmitted to the mobile terminal by near-field wireless communication,

wherein, when the near-field wireless communication with a vehicle portable device is established;

the vehicle information acquisition part acquires the vehicle information from the vehicle, and

the transmission controller transmits the vehicle information acquired from the vehicle to the mobile terminal.

7. The vehicle portable device according to claim 6, further comprising:

a storage in which the vehicle information is stored, the vehicle portable device being used to lock and unlock a door of the vehicle by wireless communication,

wherein, when the door of the vehicle is locked;

the vehicle information acquisition part acquires the vehicle information from the vehicle and stores the acquired vehicle information in the storage,

wherein, when the wireless communication with the vehicle can be conducted while the near-field wireless communication with the vehicle portable device is established;

the vehicle information acquisition part acquires the vehicle information from the vehicle and updates the vehicle information stored in the storage, and

the transmission controller transmits the vehicle information acquired from the vehicle to the mobile terminal, and

wherein, when the wireless communication with the vehicle cannot be conducted while the near-field wireless communication with the vehicle portable device is established;

the transmission controller transmits the vehicle information stored in the storage to the mobile terminal.

8. The vehicle portable device according to claim 7,

wherein the vehicle information acquisition part stores acquired time information indicating a time the vehicle information is acquired in the storage together with vehicle information, and

wherein the transmission controller transmits the acquired time information to the mobile terminal together with the vehicle information.

9. The vehicle portable device according to claim 7,

wherein, when the vehicle and the vehicle portable device can conduct the wireless communication with each other while the near-field wireless communication with the vehicle portable device is established:

the vehicle information acquisition part determines whether the vehicle information stored in the storage requires an update, acquires the vehicle information that requires the update from the vehicle, and updates the vehicle information stored in the storage, and

the transmission controller transmits the vehicle information acquired from the vehicle by the vehicle information acquisition part to the mobile terminal with respect to the vehicle information that requires the update, and transmits the vehicle information stored in the storage to the mobile terminal with respect to the vehicle information that does not require the update.

10. The vehicle portable device according to claim 7,

wherein the vehicle information acquisition part stops the acquisition of the vehicle information from the vehicle for a predetermined time period since the door of the vehicle is locked, and

wherein, when the near-field wireless communication with the mobile terminal is established within the predetermined time period since the door of the vehicle is locked, the transmission controller transmits the vehicle information stored in the storage to the mobile terminal regardless whether the wireless communication with the vehicle can be conducted.

14. The vehicle portable device according to claim 8,

wherein, when the vehicle and the vehicle portable device can conduct the wireless communication with each other while the near-field wireless communication with the vehicle portable device is established:

the vehicle information acquisition part determines whether the vehicle information stored in the storage requires an update, acquires the vehicle information that requires the update from the vehicle, and updates the vehicle information stored in the storage, and

the transmission controller transmits the vehicle information acquired from the vehicle by the vehicle information acquisition part to the mobile terminal with respect to the vehicle information that requires the update, and transmits the vehicle information stored in the storage to the mobile terminal with respect to the vehicle information that does not require the update.

15. The vehicle portable device according to claim 8,

wherein the vehicle information acquisition part stops the acquisition of the vehicle information from the vehicle for a predetermined time period since the door of the vehicle is locked, and

wherein, when the near-field wireless communication with the mobile terminal is established within the predetermined time period since the door of the vehicle is locked, the transmission controller transmits the vehicle information stored in the storage to the mobile terminal regardless whether the wireless communication with the vehicle can be conducted.

16. The vehicle portable device according to claim 9,

wherein the vehicle information acquisition part stops the acquisition of the vehicle information from the vehicle for a predetermined time period since the door of the vehicle is locked, and

wherein, when the near-field wireless communication with the mobile terminal is established within the predetermined time period since the door of the vehicle is locked, the transmission controller transmits the vehicle information stored in the storage to the mobile terminal regardless whether the wireless communication with the vehicle can be conducted.