Vehicular wireless apparatus

• US 7,715,840 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2006
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Shinoda, Koji, Oda, Kyoji
• Primary Examiner(s): Pérez-Gutiérrez; Rafael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Di Prisco; German Viana
• Application Number:
  US11/475,592
• Publication Number:
  US 20070010294A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• Field of Search: 455/572, 455/435.1, 455/418, 713/324
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/04 using triggered events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks

Abstract

A vehicular wireless apparatus continues a standby state even after an ACC switch of the vehicle is turned off. In the vehicular wireless apparatus, when it is determined that the ACC switch is turned from on to off, paging area information stored in a RAM (volatile memory) is stored in an EEPROM (nonvolatile memory). When the ACC switch is then turned from off to on, a power-on-reset is done for the whole of the vehicular wireless apparatus and paging area information stored in the RAM is reset. The paging area information stored in the EEPROM is then read. Whether a location registration should be newly done is determined based on the read paging area information.

Claims

1. A wireless apparatus for a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a wireless device configured for running wireless communication with a base station that sends paging area information and for executing a location registration, which corresponds to the paging area information, to the base station;

a volatile memory device configured for storing the paging area information to which the executed location registration corresponds;

a nonvolatile memory device configured for storing the paging area information, which is stored in the volatile memory device after the wireless device executes the location registration; and

a control device including

a memory control unit configured to read out the paging area information in the volatile memory device and writes the read paging area information in the nonvolatile memory device,

a vehicle operation determining unit configured to determine whether a driving source of the vehicle stops or starts,

a wireless activating unit configured to activate the wireless device when the driving source is determined to start,

a reset unit configured to initialize the volatile memory device when the driving source is determined to start,

a registration control unit configured to (i) execute a determination whether paging area information, which is stored in the nonvolatile memory device before the driving source starts, matches paging area information, which is sent from the base station after the driving source starts and (ii) cause the wireless device to execute location registration when the determination is negative while causing the wireless device to execute no location registration when the determination is affirmative,

a wireless control unit configured to cause the wireless device to continue running wireless communication for a predetermined time after the driving source of the vehicle is determined to stop, and

a time counter for determining whether a predetermined time elapses after the driving source of the vehicle is determined to stop, wherein,

when the time counter determines that the predetermined time elapses since the driving source of the vehicle is determined to stop,

(i) the memory control means reads out paging area information stored in the volatile memory device, and writes the read paging area information in the nonvolatile memory device and then

(ii) the wireless control means stops the power supply to the wireless device to thereby cause the wireless device to stop running the wireless communication, wherein,

when the driving source of the vehicle is determined to stop, the memory control unit reads out newest paging area information from the volatile memory device, and writes the newest read paging area information in the nonvolatile memory device; and

in case that paging area information is newly received and stored in the volatile memory device during the predetermined time after the driving source of the vehicle is determined to stop,

the registration control unit executes a determination whether the newly received paging area information, which is stored in the volatile memory, matches the paging area information stored in the nonvolatile memory device; and

when the determination is negative,

the registration control unit causes the wireless device to execute a location registration corresponding to the newly received paging area information and

the memory control unit deletes the paging area information stored in the nonvolatile memory device.

2. A wireless apparatus for a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a wireless device for running wireless communication with a base station that sends paging area information and for executing a location registration, which corresponds to the paging area information, to the base station;

a volatile memory device for storing the paging area information to which the executed location registration corresponds;

a nonvolatile memory device for storing the paging area information, which is stored in the volatile memory device after the wireless device executes the location registration;

memory control means for reading out the paging area information in the volatile memory device and writing the read paging area information in the nonvolatile memory device;

vehicle operation determining means for determining whether a driving source of the vehicle stops or starts;

wireless activating means for activating the wireless device when the driving source is determined to start;

reset means for initializing the volatile memory device when the driving source is determined to start;

registration control means for (i) executing a determination whether paging area information, which is stored in the nonvolatile memory device before the driving source starts, matches paging area information, which is sent from the base station after the driving source starts and (ii) causing the wireless device to execute location registration when the determination is negative while causing the wireless device to execute no location registration when the determination is affirmative;

wireless control means for causing the wireless device to continue running wireless communication by controlling a power supply to the wireless device after the driving source of the vehicle is determined to stop; and

a time counter for determining whether a predetermined time elapses after the driving source of the vehicle is determined to stop,

wherein,

when the time counter determines that the predetermined time elapses since the driving source of the vehicle is determined to stop,

(i) the memory control means reads out paging area information stored in the volatile memory device, and writes the read paging area information in the nonvolatile memory device and then

(ii) the wireless control means stops the power supply to the wireless device to thereby cause the wireless device to stop running the wireless communication,

when the driving source of the vehicle is determined to stop, the memory control unit reads out newest paring area information from the volatile memory device, and writes the newest read paging area information in the nonvolatile memory device;

in case that paging area information is newly received and stored in the volatile memory device during the predetermined time after the driving source of the vehicle is determined to stop,

the registration control means executes a determination whether the newly received paging area information, which is stored in the volatile memory device, matches the paging area information stored in the nonvolatile memory device; and

when the determination is negative,

the registration control means causes the wireless device to execute a location registration corresponding to the newly received paging area information and

the memory control means deletes the paging area information stored in the nonvolatile memory device.

3. A wireless apparatus for a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a wireless device for running wireless communication with a base station that sends paging area information and for executing a location registration, which corresponds to the paging area information, to the base station;

a volatile memory device for storing the paging area information to which the executed location registration corresponds;

a nonvolatile memory device for storing the paging area information, which is stored in the volatile memory device after the wireless device executes the location registration;

memory control means for reading out the paging area information in the volatile memory device and writing the read paging area information in the nonvolatile memory device;

vehicle operation determining means for determining whether a driving source of the vehicle stops or starts;

wireless activating means for activating the wireless device when the driving source is determined to start;

reset means for initializing the volatile memory device when the driving source is determined to start;

registration control means for (i) executing a determination whether paging area information, which is stored in the nonvolatile memory device before the driving source starts, matches paging area information, which is sent from the base station after the driving source starts and (ii) causing the wireless device to execute location registration when the determination is negative while causing the wireless device to execute no location registration when the determination is affirmative;

wireless control means for causing the wireless device to continue running wireless communication by controlling a power supply to the wireless device after the driving source of the vehicle is determined to stop; and

current determining means for determines whether consumption currents, which flow after the driving source of the vehicle is determined to stop, reach a predetermined amount,

wherein,

when the current determining means determines that the consumption currents reach the predetermined amount,

(i) the memory control means reads out paging area information, which is stored in the-volatile memory device, and writes the read paging area information in the nonvolatile memory device and

(ii) the wireless control means stops the power supply to the wireless device to thereby cause the wireless device to stop running the wireless communication

when the driving source of the vehicle is determined to stop, the memory control unit reads out newest paging area information from the volatile memory device, and writes the newest read paging area information in the nonvolatile memory device,

in case that paging area information is newly received and stored in the volatile memory device during a period from when the driving source of the vehicle is determined to stop to when the consumption currents reach the predetermined amount,

the registration control means executes a determination whether the newly received paging area information, which is stored in the volatile memory device, matches the paging area information stored in the nonvolatile memory device; and

when the determination is negative,

the registration control means causes the wireless device to execute a location registration corresponding to the newly received paging area information and

the memory control means deletes the paging area information stored in the nonvolatile memory device.