Transmitted signal confirmation device, vehicular transmitted signal confirmation device and confirmation method of transmitted signal

• US 6,377,169 B1
• Filed: 12/22/1998
• Issued: 04/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Yanagisawa, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US09/219,171
• Time in Patent Office: 1,218 Days
• Field of Search: 340/502, 340/504, 340/298, 340/313, 340/314, 340/505, 340/506, 340/533, 340/531, 340/825.06, 340/825.07, 340/825.08, 340/825.29
• US Class Current: 340/504
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/001 Alarm cancelling procedures or alarm forwarding decisions, e.g. based on absence of alarm confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

A transmitted signal confirmation device includes a transmitter, a receiver, a situation detecting device, an indicating mode determining device, and an indicator. The transmitter transmits the signal of a location of an individual (e.g., a vehicle). The receiver receives a signal receipt confirmation signal from a distant facility indicating receipt of the transmitted signal. The situation detecting device detects the situation existing at the location. The indicating mode determining device selects one indicating mode out of plural different indicating modes based on the situation at the location. The indicator provides a signal receipt confirmation indication with the one indicating mode when the receiver has received the confirmation signal.

Claims

1. A transmitted signal confirmation device comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting a signal from a location at which exists a situation;

a receiver for receiving a signal receipt confirmation signal transmitted by a facility outside said location indicating that the facility has received said signal transmitted by the transmitter;

indicating mode determining means for determining, based on the situation existing at the location, one indicating mode out of at least two different indicating modes upon receipt of the signal receipt confirmation signal by the receiver so that a first indicating mode is determined when the situation existing at the location is one situation and a second indicating mode different from the first indicating mode is determined when the situation existing at the location is a situation different from said one situation;

an indicator for outputting, in the indicating mode determined by the indicating mode determining means, a signal receipt confirmation indication providing an indication that the signal transmitted by the transmitter has been received by the facility.

2. A transmitted signal confirmation device according to claim 1, including situation detecting means for detecting the situation existing at the location.

3. A transmitted signal confirmation device according to claim 2, wherein said indicator provides a first signal receipt confirmation indication which is noticeable and a second signal receipt confirmation indication which is less noticeable than said first signal receipt confirmation indication.

4. A transmitted signal confirmation device according to claim 1, wherein said indicator provides a first signal receipt confirmation indication which is noticeable and a second signal receipt confirmation indication which is less noticeable than said first signal receipt confirmation indication.

5. A transmitted signal confirmation device according to claim 3, wherein said situation detecting means provides information to the facility indicating the existence of a situation at the location in which an individual at the location wants to be able to readily observe the signal receipt confirmation indication, said indicating mode determining means determining said first indicating mode when said situation detecting means provides information to the facility indicating that the individual at the location wants to readily observe the signal receipt confirmation indication.

6. A transmitted signal confirmation device according to claim 2, wherein said signal transmitted by the transmitter includes a situation signal provided by said situation detecting means.

7. A transmitted signal confirmation device according to claim 6, wherein the signal receipt confirmation signal from said facility includes indicating mode information, and said indicating mode determining means determines the indicating mode based on the indicating mode information included in the signal receipt confirmation signal.

8. A transmitted signal confirmation device according to claim 7, wherein said indicating mode information included in the signal receipt confirmation signal is based on the situation signal provided by said situation detecting means.

9. A transmitted signal confirmation device comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting a signal from a location;

a receiver for receiving a signal receipt confirmation signal transmitted by a facility outside the location indicating that the facility has received said signal transmitted by the transmitter;

situation detecting means for detecting a situation existing at said location;

indicating mode determining means for determining one indicating mode from at least two different indicating modes based on the situation existing at the location as detected by said situation detecting means so that a first indicating mode is determined when the situation existing at the location is one situation and a second indicating mode different from the first indicating mode is determined when the situation existing at the location is a situation different from said one situation; and

an indicator for providing a signal receipt confirmation indication with said one indicating mode when said receiver has received the signal receipt confirmation signal.

10. A transmitted signal confirmation device according to claim 9, wherein said indicator provides a first signal receipt confirmation indication which is noticeable and a second signal receipt confirmation indication which is less noticeable than said first signal receipt confirmation indication.

11. A transmitted signal confirmation device according to claim 10, wherein said situation detecting means provides information to the facility indicating whether an individual at the location wants to be able to readily observe the signal receipt confirmation indication, said indicating mode determining means determining said first indicating mode when said situation detecting means provides information to the facility indicating that the individual at the location wants to readily observe the signal receipt confirmation indication.

12. A transmitted signal confirmation device according to claim 9, wherein said signal transmitted by the transmitter includes situation information detected by said situation detecting means.

13. A transmitted signal confirmation device according to claim 12, wherein the signal receipt confirmation signal from said facility includes indicating mode information, and said indicating mode determining means determines the indicating mode based on the indicating mode information included in the signal receipt confirmation signal.

14. A transmitted signal confirmation device according to claim 13, wherein said indicating mode information included in the signal receipt confirmation signal is based on the situation information provided by said situation detecting means.

15. A method of confirming receipt of a transmitted signal, comprising:

transmitting a signal from a location at which exists a situation;

receiving a signal receipt confirmation signal indicating that a facility outside the location has received the transmittal signal;

selecting one indicating mode out of at least two different indicating modes based on the situation existing at the location so that a first indicating mode is selected when the situation existing at the location is one situation and a second indicating mode different from the first indicating mode is selected when the situation existing at the location is a situation different from said one situation; and

providing a signal receipt confirmation indication in said one indicating mode.

16. A method of confirming a transmitted signal according to claim 15, wherein said selection of the one indicating mode includes selecting either the first indicating mode which provides a first signal receipt confirmation indication or the second indicating mode which provides a second signal receipt confirmation indication that is less noticeable than the first signal receipt confirmation indication.

17. A method of confirming a transmitted signal according to claim 16, including determining whether an individual at the location wants to readily notice the signal receipt confirmation indication, said first indicating mode being selected when it is determined that the individual at the location wants to readily notice the signal receipt confirmation indication.

18. A method of confirming a transmitted signal according to claim 15, wherein said transmitting of the signal includes transmitting a signal indicating a situation existing at the location.

19. A method of confirming a transmitted signal according to claim 18, wherein said step of receiving a signal receipt confirmation signal includes receiving indicating mode information, and said step of selecting one indicating mode includes selecting an indicating mode based on the indicating mode information.

20. A method of confirming a transmitted signal according to claim 19, wherein said indicating mode information is based on the signal indicating the situation existing at the location.

21. A transmitted signal confirmation device comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting a signal from a location at which exists a situation;

a receiver for receiving a signal receipt confirmation signal transmitted by a facility outside said location indicating that the facility has received said signal transmitted by the transmitter;

indicating mode determining means for determining, upon receipt of the signal receipt confirmation signal by the receiver, one indicating mode out of at least first and second different indicating modes, the indicating mode determining means determining the first indicating mode when the situation existing at the location is one situation and determining the second indicating mode when the situation existing at the location is a situation different from said one situation;

an indicator for outputting, based on the indicating mode determined by the indicating mode determining means, a signal receipt confirmation indication providing an indication that the signal transmitted by the transmitter has been received by the facility, said indicator outputting a first noticeable signal receipt confirmation indication when the first indicating mode is determined by the indicating mode determining means and outputting a second signal receipt confirmation indication that is less noticeable than said first signal receipt confirmation indication when the second indicating mode is determined by the indicating mode determining means.

22. A transmitted signal confirmation device comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting a signal from a location at which exists a situation;

a receiver for receiving a signal receipt confirmation signal transmitted by a facility outside the location indicating that the facility has received said signal transmitted by the transmitter;

situation detecting means for providing information concerning a situation existing at said location;

indicating mode determining means for determining, based on the situation existing at the location as detected by said situation detecting means, one of at least a first indicating mode and a second indicating mode that are different from one another, with the first indicating mode being determined when the situation existing at the location is one situation and the second indicating mode being determined when the situation existing at the location is a situation different from said one situation; and

an indicator which outputs, when said receiver has received the signal receipt confirmation signal, a first noticeable signal receipt confirmation indication when said indicating mode determining means determines said first indicating mode and a second signal receipt confirmation indication that is less noticeable than said first signal receipt confirmation indication when said indicating mode determining means determines said second indicating mode.

23. The transmitted signal confirmation device according to claim 22, wherein the transmitter transmits the signal from the location of a vehicle, and wherein said indicating mode determining means determines the first indicating mode when said situation detecting means provides information indicating that an individual in the vehicle is sick or has been involved in an accident.

24. The transmitted signal confirmation device according to claim 22, wherein the transmitter transmits the signal from the location of a vehicle, and wherein said indicating mode determining means determines the second indicating mode when said situation detecting means provides information indicating that an individual in the vehicle has encountered a robber.

25. The transmitted signal confirmation device according to claim 22, wherein the transmitter transmits the signal from the location of a vehicle, and wherein said first signal receipt confirmation indication includes one of a displayed message in the vehicle, a flashing display in the vehicle, and an emitted sound.

26. The transmitted signal confirmation device according to claim 22, wherein the transmitter transmits the signal from the location of a vehicle, and wherein said second signal receipt confirmation indication includes one of turning on and off a light in the vehicle, turning on and off a portion of a display in the vehicle, displaying a sign on a display in the vehicle.