Mover, information center, and mobile communication system

• US 7,881,655 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2005
• Issued: 02/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Asami, Ken
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson; Matthew D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Safaipour; Bobbak
• Application Number:
  US11/631,706
• Publication Number:
  US 20070249284A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,030 Days
• Field of Search: 701/201, 701/13, 701/213, 455/3.01, 455/456.1, 455/550.1, 455/456.6, 455/456.5
• US Class Current: 455/3.01
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/57 for mobile receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/37 via a different channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/11 Arrangements for counter-measures when a portion of broadcast information is unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/12 wherein another information is substituted for the portion of broadcast information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/25 Arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/32 Arrangements for monitoring conditions of receiving stations, e.g. malfunction or breakdown of receiving stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/91 Mobile communication networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/85

Abstract

A mover such as a vehicle acquires the information, which has been updated by broadcasting/communication during an engine stall or in an unreceivable state, after the engine start or the recovery of reception. The engine stall period and the unreceivable state continuation period of the mover are monitored and are notified after the engine start from a communication device to an information center and a mounted device. In response to this notification, the information center extracts the information, which has been updated during the engine stall period and the unreceivable state continuation period, and transmits the information to the communication device of the mover. As a result, the mover can always hold the latest information of a broadcast receiving device, the communication device and an information service device.

Claims

1. A mobile communication system having an information center and a mobile body for acquiring information via at least one of broadcasting and communication services from said information center,

wherein said mobile body comprises:

a broadcast receiving unit for receiving information broadcast by said information center;

an information storing unit for storing received information;

a communication state determining unit for determining an unreceivable state of said broadcast receiving unit, generating a determined result including an unreceivable period having an initial time and an ending time; and

a mobile communication unit configured to communicatively connect with said information center for transmitting information, including said determined result, to and receiving information from said information center;

and wherein said information center comprises;

a broadcast transmitting unit for broadcasting information to said mobile body;

an information center communication unit configured to communicatively connect with said mobile body, for transmitting information to and receiving information, including said determined result, from said mobile body; and

a retransmission information generating unit for determining a set of updating information that were broadcast when said mobile body was in said unreceivable state during said unreceivable period, based on a broadcast timestamp of a particular updating information falling within said initial time and ending time of said unreceivable period, and generating retransmission information to be retransmitted to said mobile body.

2. A mobile body comprising:

a broadcast receiving unit for receiving information broadcast by an information center;

a mobile communication unit configured to communicatively connect with said information center, for transmitting information to and receiving information from said information center;

an information storing unit for storing received information; and

a communication state determining unit for determining an unreceivable state of said broadcast receiving unit, and generating a determined result including an unreceivable period having an initial time and an ending time,

wherein, when said mobile communication unit transmits said determined result to said information center, said information center determines a set of updating information that were broadcast when said mobile body was in the unreceivable state during the unreceivable period, based on a broadcast timestamp of a particular updating information falling within the initial time and ending time of the unreceivable period, so as to generate and transmit retransmission information, and

wherein said mobile communication means receives said retransmission information.

7. A mobile body according to claim 2, wherein an engine shutoff period of an engine of the mobile body is determined as the unreceivable state.

9. A mobile body according to claim 2, wherein a period in which said mobile body is positioned outside of a broadcasting area is determined as the unreceivable state.

3. An information center comprising:

a broadcast transmitting unit for broadcasting information to a mobile body;

an information center communication unit configured to communicatively connect with said mobile body, for transmitting information to and receiving information, including a determined result providing an unreceivable period having an initial time and an ending time, from said mobile body; and

a retransmission information generating unit for determining a set of updating information that were broadcast when said mobile body was in an unreceivable state during said unreceivable period, based on a broadcast timestamp of a particular updating information falling within said initial time and said ending time of said unreceivable period, and generating retransmission information to be retransmitted to said mobile body.

4. A mobile communication system having an information center and a mobile body for acquiring information via communication services from said information center,

wherein said mobile body comprises:

an information storing unit for storing received information;

a communication state determining unit for determining an uncommunicatable state of said mobile communication unit, and generating a determined result including an unreceivable period having an initial time and an ending time; and

a mobile communication unit configured to communicatively connect with said information center for transmitting information, including said determined result, to and receiving information from said information center;

and wherein said information center comprises;

an information center communication unit configured to communicatively connect with said mobile body, for transmitting information to and receiving information from said mobile body; and

a retransmission information generating unit for determining a set of updating information that were transmitted when said mobile body was in said uncommunicatable state during said unreceivable period, based on a broadcast timestamp of a particular updating information falling within said initial time and ending time of said unreceivable period, and generating retransmission information to be retransmitted to said mobile body.

5. A mobile body comprising:

a mobile communication unit configured to communicatively connect with an information center, for transmitting information to and receiving information from said information center;

an information storing unit for storing received information; and

a communication state determining unit for determining an uncommunicatable state of said mobile communication unit, and generating a determined result including an unreceivable period having an initial time and an ending time,

wherein, when said mobile communication unit transmits said determined result to said information center, said information center determines a set of updating information that were broadcast when said mobile body was in said uncommunicatable state during said unreceivable period, based on a broadcast timestamp of a particular updating information falling within said initial time and ending time of said unreceivable period, so as to generate and transmit retransmission information, and

wherein said mobile communication unit receives said retransmission information.

8. A mobile body according to claim 5, wherein an engine shutoff period of an engine of the mobile body is determined as the uncommunicatable state.

10. A mobile body according to claim 5, wherein a period in which said mobile body is positioned outside of a communication area is determined as the uncommunicatable state.

6. An information center comprising:

an information center communication unit configured to communicatively connect with said mobile body, for transmitting information to and receiving information, including a determined result providing an unreceivable period having an initial time and an ending time, from said mobile body; and

a retransmission information generating unit for determining a set of updating information that were transmitted when said mobile body was in an uncommunicatable state during said unreceivable period, based on a broadcast timestamp of a particular updating information falling within said initial time and said ending time of said unreceivable period, and generating retransmission information to be retransmitted to said mobile body.