Vehicle monitoring system

• US 6,819,236 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2001
• Issued: 11/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kawai, Makoto, Tamura, Kazuya
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US09/804,184
• Publication Number:
  US 20010020893A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,344 Days
• Field of Search: 340/425.5, 340/426.13, 340/426.17, 340/539, 340/439, 340/870.16, 340/426.15, 340/426.16, 340/438, 340/905, 340/995, 340/539.11, 340/539.19, 340/539.24, 307/10.2, 701/29, 701/33, 701/35, 701/36, 701/32
• US Class Current: 340/539.24
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

The vehicle monitoring system comprises: an on-vehicle unit provided in a vehicle, the on-vehicle unit comprising: a vehicle condition monitor for monitoring a condition of the vehicle and outputting vehicle condition data; and an on-vehicle communicator for sending the vehicle condition data output from the vehicle condition monitor; a data server for communicating with the on-vehicle unit, the data server comprising a server communicator for receiving the vehicle condition data sent from the on-vehicle communicator; a storage section for storing the vehicle condition data; and an abnormality determining section for determining whether an abnormality has occurred in the vehicle, based on the vehicle condition data stored in the storage section, and for outputting an abnormality informing signal when the abnormality has occurred in the vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle monitoring system comprising:

an on-vehicle unit provided in a vehicle, the on-vehicle unit comprising;

a vehicle condition monitor for monitoring a condition of the vehicle at a predetermined interval and outputting vehicle condition data; and

an on-vehicle communicator for sending at another predetermined interval the vehicle condition data output from the vehicle condition monitor;

a data server for communicating with the on-vehicle unit, the data server comprising;

a server communicator for receiving the vehicle condition data sent from the on-vehicle communicator;

a storage section for storing the vehicle condition data from a predetermined past time to the present;

an abnormality determining section for determining whether an abnormality has occurred in the vehicle, based on the vehicle condition data stored in the storage section, and for outputting an abnormality informing signal when the abnormality has occurred in the vehicle; and

a portable communicator for communicating with the data server, wherein

the server communicator sends the abnormality informing signal output from the abnormality determining section, to the portable communicator and wherein the vehicle condition data includes conditions inside the vehicle as well as conditions outside the vehicle, and wherein

in an emergency condition, the on-vehicle communicator sends emergency information to the data server regardless of the another predetermined interval.

2. A vehicle monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein

the storage section and the abnormality determining section are provided in the on-vehicle unit.

3. A vehicle monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein

the storage section and the abnormality determining section are provided in the data server.

4. A vehicle monitoring system according to claim 3 or 1, wherein in response to a data request signal from the portable communicator to request sending of the vehicle condition data, the server communicator or the on-vehicle communicator sends the vehicle condition data from the storage section to the portable communicator.

5. A vehicle monitoring system according to claim 3 or 1, further comprising:

a driver for driving a part of the vehicle, wherein

the portable communicator sends a settling command signal to settle the abnormality to the driver, and

the driver drives the part of the vehicle based on the sent settling command signal.

6. A vehicle monitoring system according to claim 5, further comprising:

a setting section for setting a command to settle the abnormality, in advance, wherein

the setting section sends a settling command signal corresponding to the abnormality informing signal sent from the abnormality determining section, through the server communicator to the on-vehicle communicator.

7. A vehicle monitoring system comprising:

an on-vehicle unit provided in a vehicle; and

a data server for communicating with the on-vehicle unit, wherein

the on-vehicle unit comprises;

a vehicle condition monitor for monitoring a condition of the vehicle at a predetermined interval and outputting vehicle condition data; and

an on-vehicle communicator for sending at another predetermined interval the vehicle condition data output from the vehicle condition monitor, to the data server, and

the data server comprises;

a server communicator for receiving the vehicle condition data sent from the on-vehicle communicator;

a storage section for storing the vehicle condition data, from a predetermined past time to the present, received by the server communicator; and

an abnormality determining section for determining whether an abnormality has occurred in the vehicle, based on the vehicle condition data stored in the storage section, and for outputting an abnormality informing signal when the abnormality has occurred in the vehicle; and

a portable communicator for communicating with the data server, wherein

the server communicator sends the abnormality informing signal output from the abnormality determining section, to the portable communicator and wherein the vehicle condition data includes conditions inside the vehicle as well as conditions outside the vehicle, and wherein

in an emergency condition, the on-vehicle communicator sends emergency information to the data server regardless of the another predetermined interval.

8. A vehicle monitoring system according to claim 7, wherein in response to a data request signal from the portable communicator to request sending of the vehicle condition data, the server communicator sends the vehicle condition data from the storage section to the portable communicator.

9. A vehicle monitoring system according to claim 7,further comprising:

a driver for driving a part of the vehicle, wherein

the portable communicator sends a settling command signal to settle the abnormality through the server communicator and the on-vehicle communicator to the driver, and

the driver drives the part of the vehicle based on the sent settling command signal.

10. A vehicle monitoring system according to claim 9, further comprising:

a setting section for setting a command to settle the abnormality, in advance, wherein

the setting section sends a settling command signal corresponding to the abnormality informing signal sent from the abnormality determining section, through the server communicator to the on-vehicle communicator.

11. A vehicle monitoring system comprising:

an on-vehicle unit provided in a vehicle;

comprises

a data server for communicating with the on-vehicle unit,

the data server, comprising;

a vehicle condition monitor for monitoring a condition of the vehicle at a predetermined interval and outputting vehicle condition data; and

an on-vehicle communicator for sending at an predetermined interval the vehicle condition data output from the vehicle condition monitor;

a driver for driving a part of the vehicle;

a server communicator for communicating with the on-vehicle unit and with a portable communicator;

a storage section for storing the vehicle condition data, from a predetermined past time to the present, output from the vehicle condition monitor;

an abnormality determining section for determining whether an abnormality has occurred in the vehicle, based on the vehicle condition data stored in the storage section, and for outputting an abnormality informing signal when the abnormality has occurred in the vehicle; and

an on-vehicle communicator for sending at another predetermined interval the abnormality informing signal output from the abnormality determining section to the data server, and

the data server further comprising;

a server communicator for receiving the vehicle condition data sent from the on-vehicle communicator; and

a portable communicator for communicating with the data server, wherein

the server communicator sends the abnormality informing signal output from the on-vehicle communicator to the portable communicator and wherein the vehicle condition data includes conditions inside the vehicle as well as conditions outside the vehicle, and wherein

in an emergency condition, the on-vehicle communicator sends emergency information to the data server regardless of the predetermined interval.

12. A vehicle monitoring system according to claim 11, wherein in response to a data request signal from the portable communicator to request sending of the vehicle condition data, the server communicator sends the data request signal to the on-vehicle communicator,

the on-vehicle communicator sends the vehicle condition data from the storage section through the server communicator to the portable communicator in response to the data request signal.

13. A vehicle monitoring system according to claim 11, further comprising:

a driver for driving a part of the vehicle, wherein

the portable communicator sends a settling command signal to settle the abnormality, through the server communicator and the on-vehicle communicator to the driver, and

the driver drives the part of the vehicle based on the sent settling command signal.

14. A vehicle monitoring system according to claim 13, further comprising:

a setting section for setting a command to settle the abnormality, in advance, wherein

the setting section sends a settling command signal corresponding to the abnormality informing signal sent from the abnormality determining section, communicator to the driver.