Mobile communication apparatus used to communicate information between mobile units

• US 7,400,909 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2004
• Issued: 07/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Konishi, Yoshichika, Niwa, Eiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson; Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Aminzay; Shaima Q
• Application Number:
  US10/566,398
• Publication Number:
  US 20060194543A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,455 Days
• Field of Search: 455/63.1, 455/67.13, 455/3.03, 455/569.2, 455/550.1, 455/238.1, 455/152.1, 455/69, 455/99, 455/515, 455/67.11, 455/505, 455/65, 375/130, 375/132, 375/138, 340/3.41, 340/455, 701/2, 701/301, 701/213, 701/302
• US Class Current: 455/569.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A mobile communication apparatus is provided, which permits highly efficient communication even between mobile units that cannot communicate directly because of signal-shielding communication obstacles.

The mobile communication apparatus 10 includes transmission means 11, reception means 11, surrounding environment detection means 13, 14 for detecting whether or not there are communication obstacles in the surroundings of a mobile unit, communication state decision means 15 for making decisions as to the quality of the communication state of the mobile unit based on detection results of the surrounding environment detection means 13, 14, and control means 16 for controlling transmission, via the transmission means 11, of information received by the reception means 11 based on decision results of the communication state decision means 15.

Claims

1. A mobile communication apparatus mounted on a subject mobile unit for effecting wireless communication between a plurality of mobile units including said subject mobile unit, another mobile unit, and a third mobile unit, the apparatus comprising:

reception means for receiving information transmitted from said another mobile unit;

transmission means for hopping the received information to the third mobile unit;

surrounding environment detection means for detecting whether or not there are communication obstacles shielding wireless signals in the surrounding environment;

communication state decision means for making decisions as to the communication state quality based on said detection results indicating whether or not there are communication obstacles shielding the wireless signals; and

control means, which transmits received information via the transmission means when the surrounding environment detection means detects no communication obstacles and the surrounding environment detection means decides that the mobile unit is in a satisfactory communication state and then hops the received information from said transmission means to the third mobile unit.

2. The mobile communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the communication state decision means decides that the mobile unit is in an unsatisfactory communication state if the surrounding environment detection means detects the communication obstacles, the control means transmits the information received by the reception means via the transmission means only if no information identical to the received information is received again within a predetermined period of time after its receipt.

3. The mobile communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the surrounding environment detection means is an imaging means installed in the subject mobile unit.

4. The mobile communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reception means and the transmission means is a wireless communication device.

5. A mobile communication apparatus mounted on a subject mobile unit for effecting wireless communication between a plurality of mobile units including said subject mobile unit, another mobile unit, and a third mobile unit, the apparatus comprising:

reception means for receiving information transmitted from said another mobile unit;

transmission means for hopping the received information to the third mobile unit;

surrounding environment detection means for detecting whether or not there are communication obstacles shielding wireless signals in the surrounding environment;

communication state decision means for making decisions as to the communication state quality based on said detection results indicating whether or not there are the communication obstacles shielding the wireless signals; and

control means, which transmits, via the transmission means, information received by the reception means if the communication state decision means decides that the mobile unit is in a satisfactory communication state and then hops the received information from said transmission means to the third mobile unit.

6. A mobile communication apparatus mounted on a subject mobile unit for effecting wireless communication between a plurality of mobile units including said subject mobile unit, another mobile unit, and a third mobile unit, the apparatus comprising:

reception means for receiving information transmitted from said another mobile unit;

transmission means for hopping the received information to the third mobile unit;

surrounding environment detection means for detecting whether or not there are communication obstacles shielding wireless signals in the surrounding environment;

communication state decision means for making decisions as to the communication state quality based on said detection results indicating whether or not there are communication obstacles shielding the wireless signals; and

control means, which transmits, via the transmission means, the information received by the reception means and then hops the received information from said transmission means to the third mobile unit only if no information identical to that information is received again within a predetermined period of time after its receipt when the communication state decision means decides that the mobile unit is in an unsatisfactory communication state.