Vehicle's communication apparatus

• US 6,476,714 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2001
• Issued: 11/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Mizuta, Rika
• Primary Examiner(s): Trieu, Van Thanh
• Application Number:
  US09/778,877
• Publication Number:
  US 20010035817A1
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426, 340/436, 340/438, 340/451, 340/903, 340/937, 340/995, 340/462, 340/815.4, 701/1, 701/29, 701/31, 701/36, 701/201, 701/211
• US Class Current: 340/461
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0232 for measuring vehicle parameters and indicating critical, abnormal or dangerous conditions

Abstract

A pseudo creature may be used to increase the user'"'"'s feeling that the pseudo creature expressed in the vehicle and the vehicle are one, to allow information generated by the pseudo creature to be recognized with ease and to allow the user to communicate with a plurality of other users through the pseudo creature. A CPU employed in a display panel is capable of communicating with external apparatuses such as a PC, a hand phone and a game machine through a connection interface and a transmission & reception unit. The CPU is capable of transmitting information regarding the vehicle to an external apparatus such a PC and acquiring a character of a game or the like as a pseudo creature from electronic media or an electronic information-processing apparatus such as a PC. Thus, in addition to a pseudo creature set in advance, pseudo creatures matching hobbies of a broad range of users can also be expressed in the vehicle. The CPU lets other drivers recognize an intention and a feeling of the pseudo creature through auxiliary instruments, which are functional components of the vehicle such as a head light, blinkers and a horn.

Claims

1. A vehicle communication apparatus comprising:

a pseudo creature being set in said vehicle and capable of communicating with a communication partner outside said vehicle through a function of said vehicle;

said pseudo creature being introduced from an electronic media which is outside said vehicle through a communication means mounted on said vehicle for receiving said pseudo creature; and

a data-transmitting means for transmitting running data of said vehicle to said electronic media by way of said communication means,

said pseudo creature including an animated character on a visual display which is customizable by an operator of said communication partner outside of said vehicle, said pseudo creature also being capable of audio, verbal, and visual expression through a plurality of output means of said vehicle.

2. The vehicle communication apparatus according to claim 1, said apparatus receiving said electronic media by connected to the Internet.

3. The vehicle communication apparatus according to claim 1, said electronic media is at least one of a personal computer and a computer game machine and said pseudo creature is a character appearing in a game.

4. A vehicle communication apparatus having a pseudo creature set in said vehicle and capable of communicating with a communication partner outside said vehicle through a function of said vehicle comprising:

a communication means capable of communicating with an electronic information-processing apparatus outside said vehicle, said electronic information-processing apparatus is a personal computer set for maintenance of said vehicle;

a data-transmitting means for transmitting running data of said vehicle to an electronic media by way of said communication means, and

a pseudo creature including an animated character on a visual display which is customizable by an operator of said communication partner outside of said vehicle, said pseudo creature also being capable of audio, verbal, and visual expression through a plurality of output means of said vehicle.

5. The vehicle communication apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said electronic information-processing apparatus is at least one of a telephone, a fax machine and a personal computer.

6. A vehicle communication apparatus having a pseudo creature set in said vehicle and capable of communicating with a communication partner outside said vehicle through a function of said vehicle, said communication apparatus comprising:

a functional component of said vehicle known as an auxiliary instrument provided to function as a communication means of said pseudo creature; and

in order for said auxiliary instrument to represent an intention and a feeling of said pseudo creature, said auxiliary instrument is driven in accordance with a state of expression set in advance,

said auxiliary instrument capable of displaying an animated character of said pseudo creature received from said communication partner outside of said vehicle on a visual display of said vehicle.

7. The vehicle communication apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said auxiliary instrument functioning as a communication means is at least either a light device or a warning device.

8. The vehicle communication apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said auxiliary instrument functioning as a communication means is a light device provided on a rear portion of said vehicle;

and

said light device is blinking when expressing a movement of an eye of said pseudo creature.

9. The vehicle communication apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said auxiliary instrument functioning as a communication means is a light device provided on a front portion of said vehicle;

and

said light device is blinking when expressing a movement of a tail of said pseudo creature.

10. The vehicle communication apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said auxiliary instrument functioning as a communication means is a warning device;

and

said auxiliary instrument is activated when expressing a cry of said pseudo creature.

11. A vehicle communication apparatus having a pseudo creature set in said vehicle and capable of communicating with a communication partner outside said vehicle through a function of said vehicle, said communication apparatus comprising:

a communication means for said pseudo creature that communicates with a communication means of a pseudo creature set in another vehicle; and

a data-transmitting means for transmitting running data of said another vehicle by way of said communication means,

said pseudo creature including an animated character on a visual display which is activated by said pseudo creature set in said another vehicle, said pseudo creature also being capable of audio, verbal, and visual expression through a plurality of output means.

12. The vehicle communication apparatus according to claim 11, and further including a recognition means for recognizing a position of a pseudo creature set in another vehicle;

and

a display means for displaying said recognized position of a pseudo creature set in another vehicle.

13. The vehicle communication apparatus according to claim 11, and further including a notification means for informing a pseudo creature set in another vehicle of its own state.

14. A vehicle communication apparatus comprising:

a storage means for storing a pseudo creature and for controlling said pseudo creature to act in a predetermined fashion in response to instructions received from the storage means;

a communicating device for communicating instructions from outside said vehicle to said storage means; and

a display for displaying an animated character of the pseudo creature to a user of the vehicle,

said pseudo creature also being capable of audio, verbal, and visual expression through a plurality of output means of said vehicle.

15. The vehicle communication apparatus according to claim 14, and further including a light device or a warning device to respond in accordance with the mood of the pseudo creature.

16. The vehicle communication apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said light device is a blinking light when expressing a movement of a character eye of said pseudo creature.

17. The vehicle communication apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said light device is a blinking light when expressing a movement of a character tail of said pseudo creature.