Vehicle information communication system, management server, on-vehicle device, and vehicle information communication method

• US 8,036,647 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2006
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsumura, Takeshi, Shimizu, Takenori, Taki, Naoki, Watanabe, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): DESIR, PIERRE LOUIS
• Application Number:
  US11/791,976
• Publication Number:
  US 20080214165A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,954 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.3, 705/417, 705/5, 701/32
• US Class Current: 455/414.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0284 Time or distance, e.g. usage of parking meters or taximeters
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/00 Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points handling coins or valuable papers, e.g. banknotes, G07D; apparatus for vending or hiring articles or services activated by coins, credit cards, paper currency or the like G07F7/00, G07F17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/01 Detecting movement of traffic to be counted or controlled G08G1/07 - G08G1/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/127 to a central station ; Indicators in a central station
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

A vehicle information communication system includes a management server 2 whereby an information terminal 4 connected to a network 1 and an on-vehicle device of the vehicle 5 are in communication with each other; wherein the management server 2 includes a contractor confirming part 12 configured to send contractor information of the vehicle information communication system to the vehicle 5.

Claims

1. A vehicle information communication system, comprising:

an on-vehicle device of the vehicle;

a management server whereby an information terminal connected to a network and the on-vehicle device of the vehicle are in communication with each other;

wherein the management server includes;

a contractor confirming part configured to send contractor information of the vehicle information communication system to the vehicle, wherein the contractor information indicates a contractor of the vehicle information communication system, the contractor being able to perform remote operations using the information terminal in order to obtain vehicle information or in order to operate the on-vehicle device,

a contractor information storage part where the information of the contractor is stored, and

a sending part configured to send the contractor information of the contractor extracted from the contractor information storage part by the contractor confirming part to the vehicle; and

wherein the on-vehicle device includes;

a receiving part configured to receive the contractor information from the management server, and

an output device configured to output the contractor information in a manner permitting an owner of the vehicle to recognize the contractor information.

2. The vehicle information communication system as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the output device includes a display device configured to display the contractor information or a voice output device configured to output the contractor information by voice.

3. The vehicle information communication system as claimed in any one of claims 1 and 2,

wherein the contractor confirming part sends the contractor information to the vehicle in a case where an owner of the vehicle gets in the vehicle, a case where designated information is distributed from the management server, or a case where access is made from the information terminal to the management server.

4. The vehicle information communication system as claimed in any one of claims 1 and 2,

wherein the on-vehicle device further includes:

a remote operations authorization part configured to verify operations by the information terminal.

5. The vehicle information communication system as claimed in any one of claims 1 and 2,

wherein the contractor confirming part sends the contractor information to the vehicle in a case where access is made from the information terminal in a designated state to the contractor confirming part.

6. The vehicle information communication system as claimed in any one of claims 1 and 2,

wherein the contractor confirming part sends the contractor information to the vehicle in a case where designated operations are performed for the on-vehicle device.

7. The vehicle information communication system as claimed in any one of claims 1 and 2,

wherein usage information for using the on-vehicle device is input to the on-vehicle device in a case where designated operations are performed for the on-vehicle device.

8. The vehicle information communication system as claimed in any one of claims 1 and 2,

wherein home position information of the owner of the vehicle or the contractor is input to the on-vehicle device in a case where designated operations are performed for the on-vehicle device.

9. The vehicle information communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the management server further includes a password storage part where a password for identifying a contractor of the vehicle information communication system and an expiring date of the password are stored.

10. The vehicle information communication system, as claimed in claim 9,

wherein the management server permits renewal of the password in a case where designated operations are performed for the on-vehicle device.

11. A vehicle information communication method of a vehicle information communication system, the system including a management server whereby an information terminal connected to a network and an on-vehicle device of a vehicle are in communication with each other, the vehicle information communication method comprising:

sending contractor information of the vehicle information communication system to the vehicle by a contractor confirming part of the management server, wherein the contractor information indicates a contractor of the vehicle information communication system, the contractor being able to perform remote operations using the information terminal in order to obtain vehicle information or in order to operate the on-vehicle device;

extracting the contractor information from the contractor information storage part where information of the contractor is stored by the contractor confirming part;

sending the contractor information to the vehicle by a sending part of the management server;

receiving the contractor information from the management server by a receiving part of the on-vehicle device; and

outputting the contractor information by an output device of the on-vehicle device.

12. A management server whereby an information terminal connected to a network and an on-vehicle device of a vehicle are in communication with each other, the management server comprising:

a contractor confirming part configured to send contractor information of a vehicle information communication system to the vehicle, wherein the contractor information indicates a contractor of the vehicle information communication system, the contractor being able to perform remote operations using the information terminal in order to obtain vehicle information or in order to operate the on-vehicle device;

a contractor information storage part where the information of the contractor is stored; and

a sending part configured to send the contractor information of the contractor extracted from the contractor information storage part by the contractor confirming part to the vehicle;

wherein the on-vehicle device includes;

a receiving part configured to receive the contractor information from the management server, and

an output device configured to output the contractor information.

13. An on-vehicle device of a vehicle, which vehicle can be in communication with an information terminal connected to a network via a management server, the on-vehicle device comprising:

a receiving part configured to receive contractor information of a vehicle information communication system from the management server; and

an output device configured to output the contractor information;

wherein the management server includes;

a contractor confirming part configured to send contractor information of the vehicle information communication system to the vehicle, wherein the contractor information indicates a contractor of the vehicle information communication system, the contractor being able to perform remote operations using the information terminal in order to obtain vehicle information or in order to operate the on-vehicle device;

a contractor information storage part where the information of the contractor is stored, and

a sending part configured to send the contractor information of the contractor extracted from the contractor information storage part by the contractor confirming part to the vehicle.