User welcoming system for an automobile

• US 7,439,849 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2005
• Issued: 10/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Kameyama, Shogo
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, SIMON
• Application Number:
  US11/210,779
• Publication Number:
  US 20060046684A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• Field of Search: 455 412- 413, 455/70, 455/92, 455352-353, 455344-345, 340/5.61, 340/5.64, 340/5.72, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 34042613-42617, 340/426.36, 340/825.36
• US Class Current: 340/425.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/50 for indicating other intentions or conditions, e.g. request for waiting or overtaking
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/40 Welcome lights, i.e. specific or existing exterior lamps to assist leaving or approaching the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2900/50 Arrangements to reconfigure features of lighting or signalling devices, or to choose from a list of pre-defined settings
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3626 Details of the output of route guidance instructions traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3685 the POI's being parking facilities
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/005 including pedestrian guidance indicator

Abstract

A welcoming system for welcoming a user of an automobile has a host communication means provided in the automobile or a facility around a parking location of the automobile. The system further has a distance detecting means for detecting a distance between the user and the parking automobile. A welcoming control means operates a welcoming operating means, such as a head lamp of the automobile, in such a manner that a content of the welcoming operations will be selected and changed depending on the detected distance between the user and the automobile.

Claims

1. A system for welcoming a user of an automobile comprising:

a host communication means installed in at least one of a parking automobile and facilities around the parking automobile;

a user terminal carried by the user, for communicating with the host communication means through a communication network;

a distance detecting means provided in the automobile for detecting a distance between the user and the parking automobile;

a welcoming operating means provided in one of the parking automobile and the facilities around the parking automobile, for performing one of welcoming operations, which comprise an operation of guiding the user to the parking automobile, an operation of assisting the user in getting into the automobile, and an operation of providing various services to the user having got into the automobile; and

a welcoming control means provided in the automobile for selecting and changing contents of the welcoming operations, depending on the detected distance between the user and the parking automobiles,

wherein the selected contents of the welcoming operations are automatically carried out when the detected distance between the user and the parking automobile becomes smaller than a reference value. independently from an operation of the user terminal.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the welcoming control means changes the contents of the welcoming operations in a stepwise manner, in which one of the welcoming operations already in operation will be terminated, or one of the welcoming operations not yet in operation will be started.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the welcoming operating means comprises a lighting device.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the welcoming control means decreases total intensity of the light from the lighting device in accordance with a decrease of the detected distance between the user and the parking automobile.

5. The system according to claim 3, further comprising:

a direction detecting means for detecting a relative approaching direction of the user with respect to the automobile,

wherein the welcoming control means operates one of the lighting devices, which is provided in the automobile and arranged at the relative approaching direction.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the welcoming control means operates the welcoming operating means, when the detected distance between the user and the parking automobile becomes smaller than a first predetermined distance, so that the welcoming control means notifies a parking location of the automobile to the user.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the first predetermined distance is selected from a range of 100 to 400 m.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein

the welcoming operating means comprises one of the following lighting devices;

a light provided at the facilities around the parking automobile for lighting up the parking automobile;

a head lamp of the automobile;

a hazard lamp of the automobile; and

a room lamp of the automobile.

9. The system according to claim 6, wherein the welcoming control means operates the welcoming operating means to guide the user toward the parking automobile, when the detected distance between the user and the parking automobile becomes smaller than a second predetermined distance, which is smaller than the first predetermined distance.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the second predetermined distance is selected from a range of 3 to 50 m.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein the welcoming operating means comprises one of the following lighting devices provided in the automobile:

a head lamp;

a fog lamp;

a hazard lamp;

a cornering lamp;

a tail lamp;

a stop lamp;

a backup lamp; and

a room lamp.

12. The system according to claim 1,

wherein the welcoming operating means comprises an air conditioning apparatus mounted in the automobile,

wherein the welcoming control means starts an operation of the air conditioning apparatus, upon receiving a command signal from the user terminal, before the user approaches to the automobile.

13. The system according to claim 1,

wherein the welcoming operating means comprises a music stereo device provided in the automobile,

wherein the welcoming control means starts an operation of the music stereo device, so that a pre-selected music is played when the user is getting into the automobile.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein the welcoming control means starts an operation of the welcoming operating means upon receiving a command signal from the user terminal.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein

the user terminal comprises an authenticating means for authenticating the user, and

the command signal is transmitted to the host communication means, only when the authentication is correctly completed.

16. A system for welcoming a user of an automobile comprising:

a host communication means installed in at least one of a parking automobile and facilities around the parking automobile;

a user terminal carried by the user, for communicating with the host communication means through a communication network;

a welcoming operating means provided in one of the parking automobile and the facilities around the parking automobile, for performing one of welcoming operations, which comprise an operation of guiding the user to the parking automobile, an operation of assisting the user in getting into the automobile, and an operation of providing various services to the user having got into the automobile; and

a welcoming control means provided in the automobile for selecting and changing contents of the welcoming operations, depending on a distance between the user and the parking automobile,

wherein the selected contents of the welcoming operations are automatically carried out when the detected distance between the user and the parking automobile becomes smaller than a reference value. independently from an operation of the user terminal.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the welcoming control means calculates the distance between the user and the parking automobile, based on information which is received at the host communication means from the communication network.

18. A system for welcoming a user of an automobile comprising:

a host communication means installed in an automobile;

a distance detecting means provided in the automobile for detecting a distance between the user and the parking automobile;

a welcoming operating means provided in the automobile, for performing one of welcoming operations, which comprise an operation of guiding the user to the parking automobile, an operation of assisting the user in getting into the automobile, and an operation of providing various services to the user having got into the automobile; and

a welcoming control means provided in the automobile for selecting and changing contents of the welcoming operations, depending on the detected distance between the user and the automobile,

wherein the selected and changed contents of the welcoming operations are automatically carried out when the detected distance between the user and the parking automobile becomes smaller than a reference value indendently from an operation of the user terminal.