Vehicle information collection system having point issuing device

• US 7,440,846 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2005
• Issued: 10/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Takeshi, Irie, Yoshiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner; Mark
• Application Number:
  US11/045,257
• Publication Number:
  US 20050171683A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,359 Days
• Field of Search: 701 1- 2, 701 29- 36, 701117-119, 701200-215, 340/1, 340/39, 340994-99513, 340/500, 702/122, 702/188
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle information collection system is disclosed for receiving vehicle information by way of a communication network and storing the vehicle information. The vehicle information collection system comprises: a vehicle information collection device for collecting the vehicle information of a plurality of vehicles from each vehicle by way of the communication network; and a point-issuing device that is connected to the vehicle information collection device by way of the communication network for conferring points to the vehicles according to the vehicle information. The vehicle information management unit collects and stores vehicle information at any time, and when a prescribed condition has been met, transmits vehicle information that has been stored and information indicating its own vehicle to the vehicle information collection device by way of the on-board communication unit and the network. The vehicle information collection device, upon receiving vehicle information from a vehicle, both classifies and stores the received information and transmits the information that indicates the vehicle and the vehicle information that has been received from the vehicle to a point-issuing device by way of the network. The point-issuing device, upon receiving these items of information, issues points in a number that corresponds to the amount and/or the category and/or the value of vehicle information and transmits to the vehicle information that indicates the number of issued points.

Claims

1. A vehicle information collection system for receiving vehicle information of a plurality of vehicles by way of a communication network and storing said vehicle information, said vehicle information collection system comprising:

a vehicle information collection device for collecting vehicle information from vehicles by way of a communication network, said vehicle information collection device transmitting to other devices that are connected by way of said communication network vehicle information according to categories that these other devices require;

a point-issuing device connected to said vehicle information collection device by way of said communication network for conferring points to vehicles according to said vehicle information, said point-issuing device including;

(a) communication means for receiving indication by way of said communication network that said vehicle information collection device has received vehicle information from a vehicle; and

(b) point-issuing means for conferring points to a vehicle according to the amount and/or the category and/or the value of vehicle information that has been received by way of the communication means; and

an on-board device including a vehicle information management means for collecting vehicle information and automatically outputting the vehicle information, without initial user selection of whether to provide the vehicle information, based on predetermined conditions, and an on-board communication means for transmitting vehicle information that has been collected by said vehicle information management means to said vehicle information collection device by way of said communication network,

wherein;

said on-board device further includes a point storage means, and said on-board communication means receives points from said point-issuing device by way of said communication network and supplies the received points to said point storage means; and

said point-issuing device further includes a point storage unit for storing points that have been issued for each vehicle or for each user.

2. A system according to claim 1, further comprising a service-providing device that is connected to said vehicles by way of said communication network for providing a service according to points that have been issued by said point-issuing device;

wherein said on-board device further includes;

service utilization control means for instructing the use of a service according to points that have been issued; and

service utilization means for receiving a service from the prescribed service-providing device in accordance with instructions from said service utilization control means.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein:

said system is provided with a plurality of vehicle information collection devices, and said on-board communication means transmits vehicle information that has been collected by said vehicle information management means to any vehicle information collection device among said plurality of vehicle information collection devices.

4. A system according to claim 2, wherein:

said system is provided with a plurality of service-providing devices for providing different services; and

said service utilization control means designates any of said plurality of service-providing devices and instructs the utilization of a service.