In-vehicle emergency communicator

• US 7,908,050 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2006
• Issued: 03/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Koie, Yoshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): KING, RODNEY P
• Application Number:
  US11/472,265
• Publication Number:
  US 20060293812A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,728 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 180/167, 340/438
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers

Abstract

An in-vehicle emergency communicator for a vehicle with an external device is disclosed. The communicator includes a travel state information receiver for receiving travel state information from the external device. The communicator also includes a transmitter for transmitting an emergency message signal, which includes the travel state information, to a service center. The communicator includes a controller for performing an emergency message operation, in which the transmitter transmits the emergency message signal when an emergency message trigger signal is inputted and an ignition signal from an ignition switch is in an ON-state. The controller analyzes the travel state information when the ignition signal from the ignition switch is in an OFF-state to determine whether the ignition signal is out of order. When it is detected that the ignition signal is out of order, the controller causes an indicator to indicate that the ignition signal is out of order.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle emergency communicator for a vehicle with an external device comprising:

a travel state information receiver for receiving travel state information regarding a travel state of the vehicle from the external device;

a transmitter for transmitting an emergency message signal, which includes the travel state information, to a service center; and

a controller for performing an emergency message operation, in which the transmitter transmits the emergency message signal to the service center when an emergency message trigger signal is inputted and an ignition signal from an ignition switch is in an ON-state, wherein;

the controller analyzes the travel state information when the ignition signal from the ignition switch is in an OFF-state to determine whether the ignition signal has malfunctioned;

when it is detected that the ignition signal has malfunctioned, the controller causes an indicator to indicate that the ignition signal has malfunctioned;

the travel state information receiver receives vehicle travel speed information from the external device; and

the controller determines whether, when the ignition signal from the ignition switch is in the OFF-state, the vehicle travel speed is greater than a predetermined speed for a predetermined time to thereby determine whether the ignition signal has malfunctioned.

2. The in-vehicle emergency communicator according to claim 1, wherein

when it is detected that the ignition signal has malfunctioned, the controller causes at least one of a visual indicator and an audio indicator, as the indicator, to indicate that the ignition signal has malfunctioned.

3. An in-vehicle emergency communicator for a vehicle with an external device comprising:

a travel state information receiver for receiving travel state information regarding a travel state of the vehicle from the external device;

a transmitter for transmitting an emergency message signal, which includes the travel state information, to a service center; and

a controller for performing an emergency message operation, in which the transmitter transmits the emergency message signal to the service center when an emergency message trigger signal is inputted and an ignition signal from an ignition switch is in an ON-state, wherein;

the controller analyzes the travel state information when the ignition signal from the ignition switch is in an OFF-state to determine whether the ignition signal has malfunctioned;

when it is detected that the ignition signal has malfunctioned, the controller causes an indicator to indicate that the ignition signal has malfunctioned;

the travel state information receiver receives traveling distance information from the external device; and

the controller determines whether, when the ignition signal from the ignition switch is in the OFF-state, the vehicle traveling distance is more than a predetermined distance to thereby determine whether the ignition signal has malfunctioned.

4. The in-vehicle emergency communicator according to claim 3, wherein

when it is detected that the ignition signal has malfunctioned, the controller causes at least one of a visual indicator and an audio indicator, as the indicator, to indicate that the ignition signal has malfunctioned.

5. An in-vehicle emergency communicator for a vehicle with an external device comprising:

a travel state information receiver for receiving travel state information regarding a travel state of the vehicle from the external device;

a transmitter for transmitting an emergency message signal, which includes the travel state information, to a service center; and

a controller for performing an emergency message operation, in which the transmitter transmits the emergency message signal to the service center when an emergency message trigger signal is inputted and an ignition signal from an ignition switch is in an ON-state, wherein;

the controller is configured to

(i) determine, when the ignition signal from the ignition switch is in an OFF-state, whether the ignition signal has malfunctioned by determining whether, although the ignition signal from the ignition switch is in the OFF-state, the vehicle is traveling; and

(ii) cause an indicator to indicate that the ignition signal has malfunctioned when it is determined that the ignition signal has malfunctioned, wherein;

the travel state information receiver receives vehicle travel speed information from the external device; and

the controller determines whether, when the ignition signal from the ignition switch in of the OFF-state, the vehicle travel speed is greater than a predetermined time to thereby determine whether the ignition signal has malfunctioned.

6. The in-vehicle emergency communicator according to claim 5,

the controller being further configured to stop the determining whether the ignition signal has malfunctioned,

(i) when the ignition signal is switched from the OFF-state to the ON-state while determining whether the vehicle travel speed is greater than the predetermined speed for the predetermined time when the ignition switch is in the OFF-state, or

(ii) when the vehicle travel speed becomes equal to or less than the predetermined speed for the predetermined time while determining whether the vehicle travel speed is greater than the predetermined speed for the predetermined time when the ignition switch is in the OFF-state.

7. The in-vehicle emergency communicator according to claim 5, wherein:

the travel state information receiver receives traveling distance information from the external device; and

the controller determines whether, when the ignition signal from the ignition switch is in the OFF-state, the vehicle traveling distance is more than a predetermined distance to thereby determine whether the ignition signal has malfunctioned.

8. The in-vehicle emergency communicator according to claim 7,

the controller being further configured to stop the determining whether the ignition signal has malfunctioned when the ignition signal is switched from the OFF-state to the ON-state while determining whether the vehicle traveling distance is more than the predetermined distance when the ignition switch is in the OFF-state.

9. The in-vehicle emergency communicator according to claim 7, wherein

when it is detected that the ignition signal has malfunctioned, the controller causes at least one of a visual indicator and an audio indicator, as the indicator, to indicate that the ignition signal has malfunctioned.

10. The in-vehicle emergency communicator according to claim 5,

the controller being further configured to be connected with the ignition switch via a single transmission path to receive the ignition signal indicating either the ON-state or the OFF-state of the ignition switch, without being connected via a plurality of transmission paths to thereby anticipate failure in detecting the ignition signal.

11. The in-vehicle emergency communicator according to claim 5, wherein

when it is detected that the ignition signal has malfunctioned, the controller causes at least one of a visual indicator and an audio indicator, as the indicator, to indicate that the ignition signal has malfunctioned.

15. The method according to claim 8, wherein

the indicator, which is caused to indicate that the ignition signal has malfunctioned when it is determined that the ignition signal has malfunctioned, includes at least one of a visual indicator and an audio indicator.

12. A method for determining whether an ignition signal from an ignition switch has malfunctioned for performing an emergency message operation for a vehicle when an emergency message trigger signal is inputted and the ignition signal is in an ON-state, the method comprising:

receiving travel state information regarding a travel state of the vehicle;

determining, when the ignition signal from the ignition switch is in an OFF-state, whether the vehicle is traveling by analyzing the received travel state information;

determining that the ignition signal has malfunctioned by determining that the vehicle is traveling although the ignition signal from the ignition switch is in the OFF-state; and

causing an indicator to indicate that the ignition signal has malfunctioned when it is determined that the ignition signal has malfunctioned; and

receiving vehicle travel speed information of the vehicle from an external device; and

determining whether, when the ignition signal from the ignition switch is in the OFF-state, the vehicle ravel speed is greater than a predetermined speed for a predetermined time to thereby determine whether the ignition signal has malfunctioned.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

receiving traveling distance information of the vehicle; and

determining whether, when the ignition signal from the ignition switch is in the OFF-state, the vehicle traveling distance is more than a predetermined distance to thereby determine whether the ignition signal has malfunctioned.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein

the indicator, which is caused to indicate that the ignition signal has malfunctioned when it is determined that the ignition signal has malfunctioned, includes at least one of a visual indicator and an audio indicator.