Emergency call system with battery switching function

• US 6,304,171 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2001
• Issued: 10/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Seto, Hitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUNG T
• Application Number:
  US09/758,200
• Publication Number:
  US 20010002121A1
• Time in Patent Office: 277 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426, 340/428, 340/439, 340/635, 340/636, 340/933
• US Class Current: 340/426.18
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/46 for ICE-powered road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1423 with multiple batteries

Abstract

In an emergency call system with the battery switching function, an auxiliary battery is arranged in a vehicle, and an arithmetic calculation control unit always monitors a battery voltage (+B) of a main battery arranged in the vehicle, an ACC voltage supplied during a driving operation of an engine and a voltage of the auxiliary battery.

Claims

1. An emergency call system with the battery switching function, comprising:

an auxiliary battery;

an external input interface unit for inputting a switch signal supplied from an outside to control an operation of the emergency call system;

a vehicle interface unit for inputting control signals such as a vehicle speed pulse indicating a running speed of a vehicle, a signal indicating a state of an accessory switch and an air bag detecting signal through a sensor and the accessory switch arranged in the vehicle; and

an arithmetic calculation control unit, which is connected with the vehicle interface unit, the auxiliary battery and the external input interface unit, for controlling operations of the vehicle interface unit, the auxiliary battery and the external input interface unit composing the emergency call system,

wherein a battery voltage supplied from a battery arranged in the vehicle, an ACC voltage generated and supplied during a driving operation of an engine and a voltage of the auxiliary battery are always monitored by the arithmetic calculation control unit, the arithmetic calculation control unit switches to the battery voltage and the ACC voltage, in a first case where the battery voltage and the ACC voltage are equal to or more than a prescribed value during the driving operation of the engine in case of no emergency, to make the emergency call system be operated, the arithmetic calculation control unit switches to the battery voltage, in a second case where the battery voltage is equal to or more than a prescribed value during an operation stopping of the engine in case of no emergency, to make the emergency call system be operated, and the arithmetic calculation control unit makes the emergency call system be operated by using the auxiliary battery in the other cases.

2. An emergency call system with the battery switching function according to claim 1, further comprising:

a change-over switch arranged between the battery and the auxiliary battery,

wherein the auxiliary battery is a secondary battery, the arithmetic calculation control unit makes the change-over switch be set to “

on”

, in the first case where the battery voltage and the ACC voltage are equal to or more than a prescribed value during the driving operation of the engine in case of no emergency and in cases where the arithmetic calculation control unit switches to the battery voltage and the ACC voltage to make the emergency call system be operated, to charge the auxiliary battery with the battery voltage.

3. An emergency call system with the battery switching function according to claim 1, further comprising:

a displaying unit for displaying a state of the emergency call system,

wherein the auxiliary battery is a primary battery, the arithmetic calculation control unit makes the displaying unit display a message indicating the switching of the primary battery in cases where a voltage of the primary battery is lowered to a value lower than a pre-set value.

4. An emergency call system with the battery switching function according to claim 1, further comprising:

a GPS reception and gyro sensor unit for detecting a current position of the vehicle; and

a data transmitting unit for outputting information indicating a current position of the vehicle to a help center of an outside or a portable telephone of an owner of the vehicle and inputting and outputting a control signal output from the help center or the portable telephone of the owner of the vehicle.