In-vehicle emergency call apparatus

• US 8,078,138 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2007
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Shinoda, Kouji
• Primary Examiner(s): Taylor, Barry
• Application Number:
  US11/982,212
• Publication Number:
  US 20080132200A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,503 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/414.2, 455/404.1
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems

Abstract

A start trigger of an emergency call occurs. In this case, an in-vehicle emergency call apparatus mounted in a vehicle does not transmit all the positional data items presently stored in a memory unit to a service center. Alternatively, the in-vehicle emergency call apparatus transmits only the newest positional data item to the service center. Thus, even if a communication link with the service center has a low transmission speed, the positional data of the vehicle can be promptly notified to the service center.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle emergency call apparatus for a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a positional data acquisition unit configured to acquire positional data items in a time series;

a positional data storing unit configured to store the positional data items acquired in the time series up to a predetermined number; and

a control unit configured to transmit to a service center a positional data item stored in the positional data storing unit,

wherein;

(i) at a trigger time when a start trigger signal of an emergency call occurs, the control unit transmits to the service center only a first newest positional data item which is newest among positional data items stored in the positional data storing unit at the trigger time; and

(ii) at a route requested time when receiving a route request signal requesting a transmission of route information from the service center after the trigger time, the control unit transmits to the service center additional positional data items which are stored in the positional data storing unit at the route requested time and were not transmitted to the service center at the trigger time.

2. The in-vehicle emergency call apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

a second newest positional data item is transmitted at a position requested time which is different from the first newest positional data item transmitted at the trigger time because of a movement of the vehicle that arises after the trigger time up to the position requested time.

3. The in-vehicle emergency call apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the control unit determines whether a distance is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance, the distance being between (i) a positional data item acquired at a first time by the positional data acquisition unit and stored as a newest positional data item at the first time in the positional data storing unit, and (ii) a positional data item acquired by the positional data acquisition unit at a second time, which is after the first time in the time series; and

when determining that the distance between (i) the positional data item acquired at the first time and (ii) the positional data item acquired at the second time is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance,

the control unit causes the positional data storing unit to store, as a newest positional data item at the second time, the positional data item acquired at the second time by the positional data acquisition unit.

4. The in-vehicle emergency call apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

at the route requested time after the trigger time, the control unit transmits to the service center a second newest positional data item in addition to the additional positional data items, the second newest positional data item being newest among positional data items stored in the positional data storing unit at the route requested time.

5. The in-vehicle emergency call apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

when receiving the route request signal to request the transmission of route information from the service center after the trigger time, a requested number of data items requested to be transmitted is also received,

the control unit compares the predetermined number with the requested number and transmits to the service center based on a result of the comparing, the additional positional data items up to a maximum of the requested number while giving a priority to newer ones among the positional data items stored in the positional data storing unit at the route requested time and were not transmitted to the service center at the trigger time.

6. The in-vehicle emergency call apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

at a position requested time when the service center requests a transmission of current position information after the trigger time,

the control unit transmits to the service center only a second newest positional data item which is newest among positional data items stored in the positional data storing unit at the position requested time.

7. A method for transmitting an emergency call from a vehicle to a service center, the method comprising:

acquiring positional data items in a time series;

storing in a positional data storing unit the positional data items acquired in the time series up to a predetermined number; and

transmitting at a trigger time when a start trigger signal of an emergency call occurs to the service center, only a first newest positional data item which is newest among positional data items stored in the positional data storing unit at the trigger time;

receiving, after the trigger time, a route request signal to request a transmission of route information from the service center; and

transmitting, upon receiving the route request signal, to the service center additional positional data items which are stored in the positional data storing unit at the route requested time and were not transmitted to the service center at the trigger time.