Emergency reporting apparatus with self-diagnostic function

• US 6,426,693 B1
• Filed: 11/18/1999
• Issued: 07/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Inomata, Jin
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOINS, DAVETTA WOODS
• Application Number:
  US09/424,060
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• Field of Search: 340/425.5, 340/426, 340/514, 340/522, 340/539, 340/903, 340/933, 340/825.35, 340/825.36, 340/825.49, 343/725, 343/729, 343/760, 343/893, 343/894, 343/711, 343/712, 343/713, 343/715, 455/82, 455/83, 455/134
• US Class Current: 340/539.21
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2225/00 Means indicating the functioning state of the alarm system, e.g. indicating arming, using leds
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1427 with transmitter-receiver for distance detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/02 Monitoring continuously signalling or alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/16 Security signalling or alarm systems, e.g. redundant systems

Abstract

A emergency communication device which performs self diagnosing by repeatedly transmitting a weak signal, which can only be received by an antenna, among a plurality of antennas in a fixed time interval. When the weak signal is not received due to the occurrence of an accident, theft or the like, the occurrence of the emergency is communicated to an emergency data receiving center.

Claims

1. An emergency communication device which performs emergency communication when a vehicle has encountered an emergency situation, said emergency communication device being provided with a self diagnosing function and comprising:

a plurality of antennas which are provided in said vehicle, and

communication means for repeatedly transmitting and receiving a weak signal between selected ones of said plurality of antennas without communicating with a remote device, and reporting the occurrence of an emergency to an emergency communication receiving center as a strong signal when transmission and reception of the weak signal is not achieved.

2. An emergency communication device provided with a self diagnosing function as defined by claim 1 wherein the transmission and reception of said weak signal is performed at fixed time intervals.

3. An emergency communication device provided with a self diagnosing function as defined by claim 1 wherein said communication means is combined with an alarm or a display or both.

4. An emergency communication device provided with the self diagnosing function as defined by claim 1 wherein said emergency communication device comprises a transceiving section connected respectively to said plurality of antennas, and a controller which controls the transmission and reception of each transceiver.

5. An emergency communication device provided with the self diagnosing function as defined by claim 1 wherein said emergency communication device comprises a transceiver transfer section which alternately connects a transmitter and a receiver to said plurality of antennas and a controller which controls transmission and reception of said transmitter and said receiver.

6. An emergency communication device provided with a self diagnosing function as defined by claim 1 wherein said device further comprises a test data memory, an emergency data memory, and a CPU which regulates the signal level so that it lowers a field level of a transmission signal when transmitting test data and raises a field level of a transmission signal when transmitting emergency data.

9. An emergency communication device provided with the self diagnosis function as defined by claim 1, further comprising an alarm which alerts when transmission and reception of the weak signal is not achieved.

10. An emergency communication device provided with the self diagnosis function as defined by claim 6, wherein said CPU prevents an engine from being started when transmission and reception of the weak signal is not achieved.

7. An emergency communication device provided with a self diagnosing function which transmits emergency data to an emergency data receiving center when a vehicle has encountered an emergency, wherein said emergency communication device comprises

a GPS receiver which detects a vehicle position,

a plurality of antennas which are disposed in said vehicle, and

communication means for repeatedly transmitting and receiving a weak signal between selected ones of said plurality of antennas without communicating with a remote device, and communicating emergency data and vehicle positional data to an emergency data receiving center as a strong signal based on a received signal in said GPS receiver when the weak signal is not received.

8. An emergency communication device provided with the self diagnosing function as defined by claim 7 wherein said device further comprises a GPS data storage means which stores vehicle positional data based on the received signal by GPS receiver, a test data memory, an emergency data memory and a CPU which regulates the signal level, wherein the CPU lowers a field level of a transmission signal when transmitting test data and raises a field level of a transmission signal when transmitting emergency data.

11. An emergency communication device provided with the self diagnosis function as defined by claim 7, further comprising an alarm which alerts when transmission and reception of the weak signal is not achieved.

12. An emergency communication device provided with the self diagnosis function as defined by claim 8, wherein said CPU prevents an engine from being started when transmission and reception of the weak signal is not achieved.