Local public information system

• US 7,421,267 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2004
• Issued: 09/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Oka, Kenichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Pérez-Gutiérrez; Rafael
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MY XUAN
• Application Number:
  US10/943,930
• Publication Number:
  US 20050250515A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,443 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455410-411, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/414.3, 455418-419
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/61 for local area broadcast, e.g. instore broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0869 for achieving mutual authentication cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for mutual authentication H04L9/3273
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

A local public information system can deliver public information to appropriate target persons in a local area at appropriate times, and make it possible for the persons to reconfirm the information once delivered, without incurring communication expenses and noise. The system includes an information delivery server and an on-board device for dedicated short-range radio communication both installed on a vehicle, a roadside device installed in the neighborhood of a road on which the vehicle is traveling; and a facility equipped with a base station server and an information output device connected to the roadside device. The vehicle with the information delivery server and the on-board device installed thereon circulates through the local area, so that public information or the like is delivered from the information delivery server to the base station server in the facility on a living quarter side through dedicated short-range radio communication between the on-board device and the roadside device.

Claims

1. A local public information system comprising:

an information delivery server and an on-board device for dedicated short-range radio communication both installed on a vehicle;

a roadside device installed in the neighborhood of a road on which said vehicle is traveling; and

a facility equipped with a base station server and an information output device connected to said roadside device;

wherein said information delivery server stores said public information;

said information output device is connected to said roadside device through said base station server; and

said roadside device sets a covering range on said road, and establishes a communication link between itself and said on-board device of said vehicle that has come into said covering range on said road so as to perform dedicated short-range radio communication, whereby said public information is downloaded from said information delivery server to said base station server so that it is delivered to said information output device through said base station server,

wherein said public information includes at least one of announcements, advertisements, service information, and campaign information,

wherein said public information includes an authentication key to authenticate said information delivery server;

said base station server has an authentication key registration area to register said authentication key; and

said roadside device registers, deletes and updates said authentication key in said authentication key registration area from said information delivery server, and

wherein said public information includes a public information classification code that designates first delivery information for each information output device that is placed under the management of said base station server;

said authentication key is registered in said authentication key registration area while being combined with said public information classification code;

said base station server includes a first delivery destination registration area in which said public information classification code is registered;

upon authentication of an information delivery server with said authentication key, said base station server is made effective to receive only those pieces of public information which are added in advance by a public information classification code registered in association with said authentication key; and

when said public information is downloaded from said information delivery server, said base station server delivers to said information output device the public information requested thereby while making reference to said first delivery destination registration area.

2. The local public information system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said authentication key includes validity term information that is set from the outside;

and

said authentication key registered in said authentication key registration area is removed from said base station server at the time when said validity term is expired.

3. The local public information system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said information delivery server is individually installed on each of a plurality of vehicles;

and

one and the same authentication key is provided to said plurality of information delivery servers corresponding to said plurality of vehicles.

4. The local public information system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said public information includes a content type that designates second delivery information for each information output device that is placed under the management of said base station server;

said base station server includes a delivery destination registration area in which said content type is registered; and

when said public information is downloaded from said information delivery server, said base station server delivers to said information output device the public information requested thereby while making reference to the delivery destination registration area.

5. The local public information system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

a child server is interposed between said base station and said information output device.

6. The local public information system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

a plurality of information output devices are connected to said base station.

7. The local public information system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said roadside device comprises only one antenna.