Communication device and method for controlling the same

• US 7,612,656 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2006
• Issued: 11/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Hotta, Masaru, Koie, Yoshio, Sakai, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Toan N
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCNALLY, KERRI L
• Application Number:
  US11/471,314
• Publication Number:
  US 20070063825A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,232 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426.18
• US Class Current: 340/425.5
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12

Abstract

A communication device is held in a controlled condition when the communication device is in a process of an emergency operation. The emergency operation of the communication device including a response operation in response to an incoming call that is transmitted from an emergency service center in exchange for an emergency signal from the communication device completes even when an external device provides a reset cause for the communication device in the process of the emergency operation due to provision of a control signal for controlling the controlled condition.

Claims

1. A communication device comprising:

a radio unit for communication with a service center, wherein the radio unit transmits an emergency signal to the service center, receives an incoming call from the service center in response to the emergency signal and answers the incoming call;

a control unit for causing an emergency operation upon receiving an emergency trigger and for causing a reset operation which restarts the communication device upon receiving an automatically generated reset signal in response to a power turn-on signal; and

a signal detector for outputting the reset signal to the control unit upon detecting a cause of reset;

wherein

the control unit outputs a continuous guard signal to the signal detector upon receiving the emergency trigger;

the signal detector is held in a controlled condition that prohibits output of the reset signal to the control unit as long as the signal detector receives the guard signal from the control unit; and

the control unit discontinues output of the guard signal when the incoming call is received and answered;

wherein

the power turn-on signal is provided by a navigation system.

2. The communication device as in claim 1,

wherein the controlled condition of the signal detector is released when the guard signal from the control unit to the signal detector is terminated.

3. The communication device as in claim 1 wherein the control unit terminates the guard signal after a predetermined period of time.

4. The communication device as in claim 1 wherein the control unit discontinues output of the guard signal immediately after the incoming call is received.

5. A method for controlling a communication device, the communication device having a radio unit for transmitting an emergency signal to a service center and receiving an incoming call from the service center in response to the emergency signal, a control unit for causing an emergency operation that includes transmission of the emergency signal by the radio unit upon receiving an emergency trigger, the transmission accompanied by a response to reception of the incoming call by the radio unit and for causing a reset operation which restarts the communication device upon receiving an automatically generated reset signal in response to a power turn-on signal, and a signal detector for outputting the reset signal to the control unit upon detecting a cause of reset, the method comprising:

outputting a guard signal to the signal detector upon receiving the emergency trigger until the radio unit answers the incoming call;

holding the signal detector in a controlled condition that prohibits output of the reset signal to the control unit while the signal detector receives the guard signal from the control unit; and

providing the power turn-on signal from a navigation system.

6. The method as in claim 5 further comprising:

having the signal detector released from the controlled condition when the guard signal from the control unit to the signal detector is terminated.

7. The method as in claim 5 further comprising terminating the guard signal after a predetermined period of time.

8. A method for controlling a communication device having a control unit in communication with a signal detector and a radio unit, the method comprising:

causing an emergency operating of the control unit that includes transmission of an emergency signal to a service center by the radio unit in response to an emergency trigger;

outputting a guard signal from the control unit to the signal detector in response to the emergency trigger;

receiving an incoming call from the service center by the radio unit in response to the emergency signal;

answering the incoming call from the service center;

automatically generating a reset signal in the signal detector in response to a power turn-on signal received by the signal detector;

prohibiting a reset operation which restarts the communication device in response to the reset signal while the guard signal is received by the signal detector; and

providing the power turn-on signal from a navigation system.

9. The method as in claim 8 wherein the prohibiting step includes holding the signal detector in a controlled condition that prohibits output of the reset signal to the control unit.

10. The method as in claim 8 further comprising performing the reset operation after a predetermined period of time.