Short range wireless communication using on-board apparatus

• US 6,417,781 B1
• Filed: 09/15/2000
• Issued: 07/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Manabu
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tai T.
• Application Number:
  US09/662,919
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 340/901, 340/928, 340/905, 340/539, 340/933, 340/937, 340/932.2, 340/903, 701/13, 701/211, 701/24, 701/26, 342/457, 342/422, 342/158
• US Class Current: 340/901
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages

Abstract

A fixed station and an on-board apparatus are constructed to carry out a short range communication. The on-board apparatus specifies an application from a command included in reception data received from the fixed station and starts a corresponding processing, when an acquired command is a menu selection command. A menu including commodities and charges are displayed. When a selected item is determined, the determined content is displayed. When an IC card unit receives an IC card for settling the charge, the charge is settled by rewriting the IC card by data exchange via wireless communication. A short range wireless unit is used to ensure individuality of the communication. This short range communication may also be used at a vehicle repair shop, at a curved corner on a travel path or the like.

Claims

1. A communication method using an on-board apparatus having communication means by using a short range wireless unit, the communication method comprising the steps of:

acquiring information for receiving service via the communication means;

displaying information acquired by the information acquiring step;

checking input operation information in accordance with the information displayed by the displaying step;

transmitting the input operation information checked by the checking step via the communication means;

reading and writing information from and to an IC card; and

carrying out an information processing with regard to a service provided in accordance with the operation information transmitted by the transmitting step by transmitting and receiving the information of the IC card.

2. The communication method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

carrying out wireless communication between the on-board apparatus and a fixed station having a limited communication area when the on-board apparatus is present in the communication area,

wherein the on-board apparatus is mounted on a vehicle, and

wherein the fixed station is installed in a vicinity of a site of receiving order of a store in which the order with respect to the service can be carried out by a driver while staying in the vehicle.

3. The communication method of claim 1, wherein the reading and writing of information from and to an IC card further comprises reading identification data from the IC card and writing an updated identification data to the IC card.

4. The communication method of claim 3, wherein the transmitting the input operation information checked by the checking step via the communication means further comprises transmitting the identification data read from the IC card along with the input operation information.