ALERT SYSTEM FOR USER OF VEHICLE

• US 20160159279A1
• Filed: 12/03/2015
• Published: 06/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Mori, Takashi, Hirose, Motohisa, Yamane, Katsuyasu, Yamazaki, Masayuki
• Granted Patent: US 9,731,652 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1442 Emulation of input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/55 Remote control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/566 Mobile devices displaying vehicle information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/573 Mobile devices controlling vehicle functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/22 Display screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/80 Arrangements for controlling instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/001 Alarm devices when the motor is stopped and the lights are on
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/00 Fittings or systems for preventing or indicating unauthorised use or theft of vehicles locks for vehicles E05B77/00-E05B85/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00769 with data transmission performed by wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/62 Comprising means for indicating the status of the lock
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00174 Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys mechanical locks with electric permutation E05B49/00; arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00

Abstract

An alert system includes a vehicle that transmits predetermined verification information within a communication range and a portable terminal that performs a predetermined alert operation on receiving the verification information. The portable terminal includes a control part that stores reference status being status of the vehicle and needing no alert operation. The control part regularly receives the verification information within the communication range. The control part determines that an alert operation is necessary when the portable terminal is moved out of the communication range from inside of the communication range and when a result of comparison between the verification information received immediately before the portable terminal is moved out of the communication range and the reference status stored in advance indicates that the verification information and the reference status are different. The control part performs the alert operation when it is determined that the alert operation is necessary.

Claims

1. An alert system for a user of a vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle-mounted communication device that is mounted in the vehicle and transmits first information representing a current status of the vehicle within a predetermined communication range around the vehicle; and

a portable terminal carried by the user and configured to receive the first information from the vehicle-mounted communication device, the portable terminal comprising;

an alarm device that performs a predetermined alert operation to notify the user of the current status of the vehicle upon receiving the first information;

a memory device that stores second information representing a predetermined status of the vehicle in which no alert operation is assumed to be necessary; and

a controller comprising an alert necessity determiner that (i) regularly receives the first information within the communication range, (ii) detects whether a position of the portable terminal is changed from inside of the communication range to outside of the communication range, and (iii) when the position of the portable terminal is changed from the inside of the communication range to the outside thereof, compares the second information with the first information received immediately before the position of the portable terminal is changed to the outside of the communication range,

wherein based on a result of said comparison, the alert necessity determiner determines that the alert operation is necessary when the current status of the vehicle represented by the first information received immediately before the position of the portable terminal is changed to the outside of the communication range is different from the predetermined status of the vehicle represented by the stored second information.

2. The alert system according to claim 1, wherein

the alert necessity determiner is further configured to detect based on the first information whether an predetermined alighting condition under which the vehicle is assumed not to be in operation by the user is satisfied, and to compare the second information with the first information received immediately before a predetermined time elapses after the predetermined alighting condition is satisfied,

wherein the alert necessity determiner determines that the alert operation is necessary when the current status of the vehicle represented by the first information received immediately before the predetermined time elapses is different from the predetermined status of the vehicle stored in the second information, regardless of the position of the portable terminal.

3. The alert system according to claim 2, wherein

the first information comprises information as to whether any one of doors of the vehicle is opened while the vehicle is stopped, and the alert necessity determiner determines that the alighting condition is satisfied when it is detected from the first information that any one of doors of the vehicle is opened while the vehicle is stopped.

5. The alert system according to claim 1, wherein

the first and second information comprise items representing the status of the vehicle,

the portable terminal further comprises a display screen that is visually discernible to the user, and

in the alert operation, the display screen displays at least one of the items which is different between the first information and the second information according to the result of the comparison performed by the alert necessity determiner.

6. The alert system according to claim 1, wherein

the alert necessity determiner determines that the position of the portable terminal is changed from the inside of the communication range to the outside of the communication range when electric field intensity detected in the communication receiving the first information at the portable terminal falls below a predetermined threshold, and

the electric field intensity represents a time average value of electric field intensity detected in the communication regularly receiving the first information.

7. The alert system according to claim 2, wherein

the portable terminal further comprises an alert operation adjuster that enables the user to change at least one of the predetermined status in the second information and the predetermined time.

8. The alert system according to claim 6, wherein

the portable terminal further comprises a setting adjuster that enables the user to change the predetermined threshold of the electric field intensity for defining the communication range.

4. An alert system for a user of a vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle-mounted communication device that is mounted in the vehicle and transmits first information representing a current status of the vehicle within a predetermined communication range around the vehicle; and

a portable terminal carried by the user and configured to receive the first information from the vehicle-mounted communication device, the portable terminal comprising;

an alarm device that performs a predetermined alert operation to notify the user of the current status of the vehicle upon receiving the first information;

a motion sensor that detects whether or not the portable terminal is in a stationary state;

a memory device that stores second information representing a predetermined status of the vehicle in which no alert operation is assumed to be necessary; and

a controller comprising an alert necessity determiner that (i) regularly receives the first information within the communication range, (ii) detects whether a position of the portable terminal is in the communication range, (iii) compares the first information with the second information when it is detected that the position of the portable terminal is in the communication range and that the portable terminal is in the stationary state, and (iv) determines that the alert operation is necessary when the current status of the vehicle represented by the first information is different from the predetermined status of the vehicle represented by the stored second information.