VEHICLE MONITORING SYSTEM

• US 20150217728A1
• Filed: 09/04/2013
• Published: 08/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Access Corp. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Access Corp. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Iwai, Shiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,428,151 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/305 using a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1654 using passive vibration detection systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1672 using sonic detecting means, e.g. a microphone operating in the audio frequency range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19647 Systems specially adapted for intrusion detection in or around a vehicle

Abstract

Provided is a system capable of reducing production costs. The system (on-board device) comprises an acquisition unit provided in a vehicle and comprising a camera unit that captures images and/or a microphone unit that captures sound; and an error detection unit that detects vehicle errors. The system sends the acquisition results from the acquisition unit, such as images and sound, to outside the vehicle in conjunction with a mobile information terminal provided in the vehicle, when the error detection unit has detected an error. Ideally, the mobile information terminal has a rechargeable battery unit and the acquisition unit and/or the error detection unit have power supplied thereto from the battery unit in the mobile information terminal, and can operate thereby. Also, the error detection unit ideally changes the error detection mode in accordance with the state of the battery unit in the mobile information terminal.

Claims

1. A vehicle monitoring system comprising:

an acquisition unit provided in a vehicle, for acquiring images and/or sounds; and

an error detection unit provided in the vehicle, for detecting errors in the vehicle,

wherein, when the error detection unit has detected an error, the acquisition results outputted from the acquisition unit are sent outside the vehicle in conjunction with a mobile information terminal provided in the vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile information terminal has a rechargeable battery unit, and the acquisition unit and/or the error detection unit are powered by the battery unit of the mobile information terminal and allowed to operate.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the error detection unit changes the error detection mode in accordance with the state of the battery unit in the mobile information terminal.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the battery unit can be recharged by using power from an on-board battery.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the acquisition unit and/or the error detection unit are powered by the on-board battery in accordance with the state of the on-board battery and allowed to operate.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the error detection unit synchronizes a sensor unit of the mobile information terminal with a sensor unit of the on-board device to detect the errors.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising the mobile information terminal.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a mobile information terminal for receiving the acquisition results sent from the mobile information terminal.

9. The system of claim 3, wherein the battery unit can be recharged by using power from an on-board battery.

10. The system of claim 2, wherein the error detection unit synchronizes a sensor unit of the mobile information terminal with a sensor unit of the on-board device to detect the errors.

11. The system of claim 3, wherein the error detection unit synchronizes a sensor unit of the mobile information terminal with a sensor unit of the on-board device to detect the errors.

12. The system of claim 4, wherein the error detection unit synchronizes a sensor unit of the mobile information terminal with a sensor unit of the on-board device to detect the errors.

13. The system of claim 5, wherein the error detection unit synchronizes a sensor unit of the mobile information terminal with a sensor unit of the on-board device to detect the errors.

14. The system of claim 2, further comprising the mobile information terminal.

15. The system of claim 3, further comprising the mobile information terminal.

16. The system of claim 4, further comprising the mobile information terminal.

17. The system of claim 5, further comprising the mobile information terminal.

18. The system of claim 6, further comprising the mobile information terminal.

19. The system of claim 2, further comprising a mobile information terminal for receiving the acquisition results sent from the mobile information terminal.

20. The system of claim 3, further comprising a mobile information terminal for receiving the acquisition results sent from the mobile information terminal.