Repair and maintenance support system and a car corresponding to the system

• US 6,549,833 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2002
• Issued: 04/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Mikami, Yoshiro, Sano, Kenji, Katagishi, Makoto, Fujii, Teruo
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US10/214,609
• Publication Number:
  US 20020193926A1
• Time in Patent Office: 249 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/30, 701/32, 701/33, 701/34, 701/200-215, 705/13, 705/22, 705/28, 705/29, 705/413, 340/992, 340/993, 340/995, 340/990, 340/989, 340/986, 342/457, 342/357.13
• US Class Current: 701/33
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

The present invention provides a system for performing procedures to request repair, without troubling the driver, when a car breaks down, as well as various onboard peripheral apparatuses and cellular phone used for this system.

This system comprises an onboard peripheral apparatus having a failure detector, an onboard main controller for managing car information, a cellular phone which can make wireless connection to the onboard main controller, and a response center for receiving requests for car repairs and maintenance and making arrangements therefor. When a failure is detected, repair request is transmitted to the response center through wireless communication together with the user ID of the driver. Based on this request, the response center acquires remedy information from a car manufacturer and makes arrangements for repair and provides this remedy information to a repair shop.

Claims

1. A repair and maintenance support system comprising:

an onboard peripheral apparatus installed on a vehicle and having a failure detector;

an onboard main controller installed on the vehicle and having a controller for managing vehicle information from said onboard peripheral apparatus; and

a response center being capable of receiving information from said onboard main controller through wireless communication;

wherein;

said response center comprises a process controller, a first repair-reception database storing data regarding a failure based on failure information received from said onboard main controller, a first customer database storing data relating to customer-related matters, and a first remedy database storing data on failure remedies; and

said process controller is configured to acquire information regarding a particular failure remedy from a second remedy database for storing data on remedies distributed by a vehicle manufacturer based on said failure information, and provide an instruction for a remedy by transmitting said information regarding the particular failure remedy, to a shop for carrying out the remedy instruction.

2. A repair and maintenance support system according to claim 1, wherein said process controller of said response center is able to access the second remedy database for storing data on remedies distributed by said vehicle manufacturer, a second repair-reception database at said shop for storing failures received, and second customer data base at a settlement corporation for storing customer-related matters.

3. A response center being capable of receiving information relating to a car failure from an onboard main controller installed on a vehicle through wireless communication and having a controller for managing the operating situation of the car;

wherein said response center comprises a process controller, a repair-reception database storing data regarding a failure based on said failure information received from said onboard main controller, a first customer database storing data regarding customer-related matters, and a first remedy database storing data regarding failure remedies; and

said process controller is configured to acquire information regarding a particular failure remedy from a second remedy database for storing data on remedies distributed by a vehicle manufacturer based on said failure information, and provide instruction for a remedy by transmitting said information on the particular failure remedy to a shop for carrying out the remedy instruction.

4. A response center according to claim 3, wherein said process controller of said response center is able to access the second remedy database for storing data on remedies distributed by said vehicle manufacturer, a second repair-reception database at said shop for storing failures received, and a second customer database at a settlement corporation for storing customer-related matters.

5. A repair and maintenance support system comprising:

an onboard peripheral apparatus installed on a vehicle and having a failure detector;

an onboard main controller installed on said vehicle and having a connected display and a controller for managing vehicle information from said onboard peripheral apparatus;

a cellular phone being capable of communicating with said onboard main controller through a wireless connection; and

a response center for receiving a vehicle repair request and for arranging maintenance, said response center being connected to a fixed transmission circuit network and capable of sharing information with a vehicle manufacturer through said fixed transmission circuit network;

wherein;

said vehicle manufacturer is configured to distribute repair information relating to the vehicle, by transmitting said repair information and vehicle information corresponding to said vehicle repair request through the fixed transmission circuit network to the response center;

said response center, upon receiving said repair information and vehicle information corresponding to said vehicle repair request, searches a database established therein, and extracts a user ID of said cellular phone related to the vehicle, and transmits said vehicle information and said user ID to the cellular phone;

upon receiving said repair information, said vehicle information, and said user ID, said cellular phone, is configured to send said repair information and said vehicle information through a wireless connection to said onboard main controller; and

the onboard main controller, upon receiving said repair information and said vehicle information, displays said repair information on the display based on the received repair and vehicle information.

6. A navigation apparatus comprising:

a position detector for determining a geographical position using a GPS system;

a communication apparatus capable of communicating with a peripheral apparatus to receive a failure information from said peripheral apparatus;

a controller connected to said position detector and said communication apparatus;

a memory connected to said controller for storing data;

an operating portion connected to said controller for inputting an instruction to said controller;

a display connected to said controller; and

a wireless interface connected to said controller, being capable of communicating with a response center,

wherein said controller is capable of monitoring a condition of said peripheral apparatus, and said controller provides an instruction to pull over and stop, while transmitting information on vehicle failure and ID information through wireless communication, when a failure information detected by said peripheral apparatus is received.

7. A navigation apparatus, according to claim 6, wherein said controller is able to communicate with a cellular phone through a wireless connection and is able to transmit said failure information through said cellular phone.

8. A navigation apparatus, according to claim 7, wherein said memory is capable of storing an ID information, said failure information is vehicle failure information, said cellular phone transmits said ID information with said vehicle failure information, and said ID information is the telephone number of said cellular phone.

9. A navigation apparatus, according to claim 7, wherein:

said cellular phone is enabled to communicate through a wireless connection with said controller when a predetermined operation is performed; and

said controller sends said vehicle failure information to said cellular phone in response to a command from said cellular phone.