Mayday system equipment and mayday system

• US 6,377,165 B1
• Filed: 01/21/2000
• Issued: 04/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshioka, Kenji, Nakama, Yasutoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz, Edward
• Application Number:
  US09/488,526
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 340/425.5, 340/990, 340/903, 340/901, 340/995, 342/457, 342/357.01, 342/357.06, 342/357.07, 342/357.09, 342/357.1
• US Class Current: 340/425.5
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

The Mayday system equipment, installable on an automotive vehicle, is separated into a locator unit which produces vehicle locative information and a communicator unit which produces emergency report information including the vehicle locative information produced by the locator unit. Resultant emergency report information is transmitted to an emergency center. The data/signal transmission between the locator unit and the communicator unit is performed via a cable or by wireless.

Claims

1. A Mayday system equipment installable on an automotive vehicle, said Mayday system equipment comprising:

a locator unit for producing vehicle locative information;

analyzing means for detecting vehicle specific conditions and outputting corresponding data;

storage means for storing said data;

means for performing emergency report processing in response to said output data;

display means integrated in said vehicle and responsive to a request signal, wherein said storage means outputs said stored data and said display means displays said data; and

a communicator unit in communication with but separately arranged from said locator unit to form a unit independent from the locator unit for producing emergency report information including said vehicle locative information produced by said locator unit, and for transmitting said emergency report information to an emergency center.

2. The Mayday system equipment in accordance with claim 1, wherein data/signal transmission between said locator unit and said communicator unit is performed via a cable.

3. The Mayday system equipment in accordance with claim 1, wherein data/signal transmission between said locator unit and said communicator unit is performed by wireless.

4. The Mayday system equipment in accordance with claim 1, wherein said locator unit includes a GPS (i.e., Global Positioning System) receiver which performs communications with a satellite to obtain GPS information representing the present position of said automotive vehicle.

5. The Mayday system equipment in accordance with claim 1, wherein said locator unit includes a gyro sensor which produces angular information representing the traveling direction of said automotive vehicle.

6. The Mayday system equipment in accordance with claim 1, wherein said locator unit includes a distance information analyzer which obtains distance information representing a traveling distance of said automotive vehicle.

7. The Mayday system equipment in accordance with claim 1, wherein said communicator unit includes means for performing emergency report processing in response to a signal of a Mayday signal generating means.

8. The Mayday system equipment in accordance with claim 1, wherein said communicator unit includes a hands-free system which allows a user to communicate with said emergency center without using a handset.

9. The Mayday system equipment in accordance with any claim 1, wherein said communicator unit includes an air bag analyzer for detecting activation of an air bag, a memory for storing the data obtained by said air bag analyzer, and means for performing emergency report processing in response to a signal of said air bag analyzer when said air bag is activated.

10. The Mayday system equipment in accordance with claim 9, wherein information transmitted to said emergency center through said emergency report processing includes the activation of said air bag.

11. The Mayday system equipment in accordance with claim 9, wherein said communicator unit outputs the data stored in said memory in response to a request signal to check the activation of said air bag.

12. The Mayday system equipment in accordance with claim 1, wherein said communicator unit includes a rolling sensor for detecting rolling of said automotive vehicle, a memory for storing the data obtained by said rolling sensor, and means for performing emergency report processing in response to a signal of said rolling sensor when said automotive vehicle has rolled.

13. The Mayday system equipment in accordance with claim 12, wherein information transmitted to said emergency center through said emergency report processing includes the rolling of said automotive vehicle.

14. The Mayday system equipment in accordance with claim 12, wherein said communicator unit outputs the data stored in said memory in response to a request signal to check the occurrence of rolling of said automotive vehicle.

15. The Mayday system equipment in accordance with claim 1, wherein said communicator unit includes a collision analyzer for detecting collision of said automotive vehicle, a memory for storing the data obtained by said collision analyzer, and means for performing emergency report processing in response to a signal of said collision analyzer when said automotive vehicle is involved in a traffic accident.

16. The Mayday system equipment in accordance with claim 15, wherein information transmitted to said emergency center through said emergency report processing includes the collision of said automotive vehicle.

17. The Mayday system equipment in accordance with claim 15, wherein said communicator unit outputs the data stored in said memory in response to a request signal to check the occurrence of collision of said automotive vehicle.

18. The Mayday system equipment in accordance with claim 1, wherein said communicator unit includes a vehicle speed analyzer for detecting a traveling speed of said automotive vehicle, and a memory for storing the data obtained by said vehicle speed analyzer.

19. The Mayday system equipment in accordance with claim 18, wherein emergency report processing is performed to report the traveling condition of said automotive vehicle in an emergency situation, and the information transmitted to said emergency center through said emergency report processing includes the traveling speed of said automotive vehicle.

20. The Mayday system equipment in accordance with claim 18, wherein said communicator unit outputs the data stored in said memory in response to a request signal to check the recorded traveling speed of said automotive vehicle.

21. The Mayday system equipment in accordance with claim 1, wherein said communicator unit includes a yawing analyzer for detecting a yawing behavior of said automotive vehicle, and a memory for storing the data obtained by said yawing analyzer.

22. The Mayday system equipment in accordance with claim 21, wherein emergency report processing is performed to report the traveling condition of said automotive vehicle in an emergency situation, and the information transmitted to said emergency center through said emergency report processing includes the yawing of said automotive vehicle.

23. The Mayday system equipment in accordance with claim 21, wherein said communicator unit outputs the data stored in said memory in response to a request signal to check the occurrence of yawing behavior of said automotive vehicle.

24. A Mayday system comprising:

a Mayday system equipment installed on an automotive vehicle;

a GPS satellite providing GPS information for said automotive vehicle; and

an emergency center,

characterized in that

said Mayday system equipment comprises;

a locator unit for producing vehicle locative information based on communications with said GPS satellite,

analyzing means for detecting vehicle specific conditions and outputting corresponding data,

storage means for storing said data,

means for performing emergency report processing in response to said output data;

display means integrated in said vehicle and responsive to a request signal, wherein said storage means outputs said stored data and said display means displays said data, and

a communicator unit in communication with but separately arranged from said locator unit to form a unit independent from the locator unit for producing emergency report information including said vehicle locative information produced by said locator unit;

wherein said emergency report information is transmitted from said communicator unit to said emergency center.

25. A Mayday system equipment installable on an automotive vehicle, said Mayday system equipment comprising:

a locator unit for producing vehicle locative information;

analyzing means for detecting vehicle specific conditions and outputting corresponding data;

storage means for storing said data;

means for performing emergency report processing in response to said output data;

display means integrated in said vehicle and responsive to a request signal, wherein said storage means outputs said stored data and said display means displays said data; and

a communicator unit in communication with but detachably arranged from said locator unit for producing emergency report information including said vehicle locative information produced by said locator unit, and for transmitting said emergency report information to an emergency center.

26. A Mayday system comprising:

a Mayday system equipment installed on an automotive vehicle;

a GPS satellite providing GPS information for said automotive vehicle; and

an emergency center,

characterized in that

said Mayday system equipment comprises;

a locator unit for producing vehicle locative information based on communications with said GPS satellite,

analyzing means for detecting vehicle specific conditions and outputting corresponding data,

storage means for storing said data,

means for performing emergency report processing in response to said output data;

display means integrated in said vehicle and responsive to a request signal, wherein said storage means outputs said stored data and said display means displays said data, and

a communicator unit in communication with but detachably arranged from said locator unit for producing emergency report information including said vehicle locative information produced by said locator unit,

said emergency report information is transmitted from said communicator unit to said emergency center.