Emergency reporting system for use with vehicle

• US 7,688,189 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2008
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Kuwabara, Hiroaki, Sakai, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Hung T.
• Application Number:
  US12/069,580
• Publication Number:
  US 20080197989A1
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 340/436, 340/438, 340/439, 340/428, 340/636.1, 340/539.1, 340/825.69, 340/903, 340/933, 701/1, 701/45, 455/433, 455/456, 307/10.1
• US Class Current: 340/436
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/181 due to failing power supply
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

An emergency reporting system for a vehicle includes a reporting signal verifying device and a power supply switching device. The reporting signal verifying device verifies a reporting signal, and the reporting signal verifying device is adapted to cause the emergency reporting to an outside emergency agency when the reporting signal verifying device has completed the verification. The power supply switching device switches power supply for the emergency reporting from a main power supply of the vehicle to an auxiliary power supply in a case, where the main power supply is disabled to supply power. The power supply switching device is adapted to switch the power supply from the main power supply to the auxiliary power supply in a period between (a) a point when the reporting signal verifying device starts the verification and (b) a point when the reporting signal verifying device completes the verification.

Claims

1. An emergency reporting system for a vehicle comprising:

means for detecting pulse signals outputted from a reporting signal outputting portion, the detecting means verifying whether the detected pulse signals correspond to a reporting signal that serves as a trigger for starting emergency reporting, the reporting signal having a predetermined pattern made by combining a plurality of pulse signals, each of which has a different waveform, the detecting means being adapted to provide a signal for an operation of the emergency reporting to an outside emergency agency when the detecting means has completed the verification of the reporting signal; and

means for switching a power supply for the operation of the emergency reporting from a vehicular main power supply, which supplies power for the operation of the emergency reporting, to an auxiliary power supply in a case, where the main power supply is disabled to supply power, wherein;

the switching means switches the power supply from the main power supply to the auxiliary power supply at a point when the detecting means detects a part of the predetermined pattern of the reporting signal, the part being made of at least one of the plurality of pulse signals.

2. The emergency reporting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the reporting signal includes sequences in series, each of which sequences is made of the plurality of pulse signals;

the detecting means completes the verification of the reporting signal by verifying the sequences a plurality of times; and

the switching means switches the power supply to the auxiliary power supply when the detecting means has verified the sequences a number of times that is smaller than the plurality of times.

3. The emergency reporting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the detecting means completes the verification of the reporting signal by verifying a specific sequence of the reporting signal; and

the switching means switches the power supply to the auxiliary power supply at a point when the detecting means has verified a specific pattern that is a part of the sequence.

4. The emergency reporting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the switching means switches the power supply from the auxiliary power supply to the main power supply if the verification of the reporting signal is not completed after the switching means has switched the power supply to the auxiliary power supply.

5. The emergency reporting system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a capacitor configured to supply power in a case, where the main power supply is disabled.

6. The emergency reporting system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means for performing the emergency reporting to the outside emergency agency when the detecting means has completed the verification of the reporting signal.

7. An emergency reporting system for a vehicle comprising:

means for detecting pulse signals outputted from a reporting signal outputting portion, the detecting means verifying whether the detected pulse signals correspond to a reporting signal that serves as a trigger for starting emergency reporting, the reporting signal having a predetermined pattern made by combining a plurality of pulse signals, each of which has a different waveform, the detecting means being adapted to provide a signal for an operation of the emergency reporting to an outside emergency agency when the detecting means has completed the verification of the reporting signal; and

switching means for switching a power supply for the operation of the emergency reporting from a vehicular main power supply, which supplies power for the operation of the emergency reporting, to an auxiliary power supply in a case, where the main power supply is disabled, wherein;

the switching means switches the power supply from the auxiliary power supply to the main power supply if the verification of the reporting signal is not completed after the switching means has switched the power supply to the auxiliary power supply.

8. The emergency reporting system as claimed in claim 7, wherein:

the reporting signal includes sequences in series, each of which sequences is made of the plurality of pulse signals;

the detecting means completes the verification of the reporting signal by verifying the sequences a plurality of times; and

the switching means switches the power supply to the auxiliary power supply when the detecting means has verified the sequences a number of times that is smaller than the plurality of times.

9. The emergency reporting system as claimed in claim 7, wherein:

the detecting means completes the verification of the reporting signal by verifying a specific sequence of the reporting signal; and

the switching means switches the power supply to the auxiliary power supply at a point when the detecting means has verified a specific pattern that is a part of the sequence.

10. The emergency reporting system as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a capacitor configured to supply power in a case, where the main power supply is disabled.

11. The emergency reporting system as claimed in claim 7, further comprising means for performing the emergency reporting to the outside emergency agency when the detecting means has completed the verification of the reporting signal.

12. An emergency reporting system for a vehicle comprising:

means for detecting pulse signals outputted from a reporting signal outputting portion, the detecting means inputting a reporting signal, which serves as a trigger for starting emergency reporting, based on the detected pulse signals, the reporting signal having a predetermined pattern made by combining a plurality of pulse signals, each of which has a different waveform;

means for verifying the inputted reporting signal;

means for performing an operation of the emergency reporting to an outside emergency agency when the verifying means has completed the verification of the reporting signal;

a vehicular main power supply that supplies power for the operation of the emergency reporting;

an auxiliary power supply that supplies power for the operation when the main power supply is disabled;

means for switching a power supply for the operation from the main power supply to the auxiliary power supply; and

a capacitor configured to supply power for the operation until the power supply is switched to the auxiliary power supply in a case, where the main power supply is disabled, wherein;

the switching means switches the power supply from the main power supply to the auxiliary power supply at a point when the verifying means detects a part of the predetermined pattern of the reporting signal, the part being made of at least one of the plurality of pulse signals.

13. The emergency reporting system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the switching means switches the power supply from the auxiliary power supply to the main power supply if the verification of the reporting signal is not completed after the switching means has switched the power supply to the auxiliary power supply.

14. An emergency reporting system for a vehicle comprising:

means for detecting pulse signals outputted from a reporting signal outputting portion, the detecting means inputting a reporting signal, which serves as a trigger for starting emergency reporting, based on the detected pulse signals, the reporting signal having a predetermined pattern made by combining a plurality of pulse signals, each of which has a different waveform;

means for verifying the inputted reporting signal;

means for performing an operation of the emergency reporting to an outside emergency agency when the verifying means has completed the verification of the reporting signal;

a vehicular main power supply that supplies power for the operation of the emergency reporting;

an auxiliary power supply that supplies power for the operation when the main power supply is disabled;

means for switching power supply for the operation from the main power supply to the auxiliary power supply; and

a capacitor configured to supply power for the operation until the power supply is switched to the auxiliary power supply in a case, where the main power supply is disabled, wherein;

the switching means switches the power supply from the auxiliary power supply to the main power supply if the verification of the reporting signal is not completed after the switching means has switched the power supply to the auxiliary power supply.

15. The emergency reporting system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the switching means switches the power supply from the auxiliary power supply to the main power supply at a time when the verifying means starts verifying the reporting signal.