Moving object monitoring device and moving object monitoring system

• US 8,102,247 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2007
• Issued: 01/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Inventors: Arakawa, Shuuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, R. A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): COURSON, TANIA C
• Application Number:
  US12/223,035
• Publication Number:
  US 20100229782A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,820 Days
• Field of Search: 116/33, 340/426.1, 340/430, 340/429, 340/426.11, 340/426.12, 340/426.19, 340/457, 340/457.4, 340/539.13, 340/576, 340/3.1, 701/213
• US Class Current: 340/426.1
• 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

Abstract

The present invention is provided to suppress an increase of communication cost, immediately detect theft and illegal use of a moving object, and immediately deal with the theft and illegal use. A moving object monitoring device 10 is installed in a moving object 1, and transmits moving object information 15 of the moving object 1 to a managing server 4 which controls the moving object 1. The moving object monitoring device 10 includes a control unit 11 which transmits the moving object information 15 such that a transmission interval is shorter when a startup lock function for prohibiting the startup of the moving object is on than a transmission interval when the startup lock function is deactivated.

Claims

1. A moving object monitoring device, which is installed in a moving object to be monitored and transmits moving object information of the moving object to a management unit that controls the moving object, the moving object monitoring device comprising:

a control unit that controls transmission of the moving object information to the management unit such that a transmission interval of the moving object information, which is applied when a startup lock is activated, is shorter than a transmission interval applied when the startup lock function is deactivated.

2. The moving object monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit transmits the moving object information when both conditions are satisfied:

a moving distance of the moving object is longer than a predetermined distance, and an engine is off.

3. The moving object monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the startup lock function is a function for prohibiting startup of the moving object in response to a lock command transmitted from the management unit for prohibiting the startup of the moving object.

4. The moving object monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the startup lock function is one or both of a function for prohibiting startup of an engine of the moving object and a function for prohibiting an operation of a working actuator of the moving object.

5. A moving object monitoring system, which includes a management unit that monitors a moving object to be monitored, and a moving object monitoring device installed in each moving object and transmitting moving object information of the moving object to the management unit, wherein

the moving object monitoring device includes a control unit that transmits the moving object information to the management unit such that a transmission interval of the moving object information, which is applied when a startup lock is activated, is shorter than a transmission interval applied when the startup lock function is deactivated, and

the management unit performs an alert process to alert a manager that a problem may have happened to the moving object when the startup lock function is on and no moving object information is received over a predetermined period.

6. The moving object monitoring system according to claim 5, wherein

the control unit transmits the moving object information when a moving distance of the moving object is longer than a predetermined distance and an engine is off, and

the management unit performs, upon receiving the moving object information, the alert process to alert the manager that a problem may have happened to the moving object.

7. The moving object monitoring system according to claim 5, wherein

the management unit transmits to the moving object monitoring device of a specific one of the moving objects, a lock command for prohibiting startup of the specific moving object or a lock deactivation command for deactivating the startup lock function of the specific moving object, and

the moving object monitoring device of the specific one of the moving objects activates the startup lock function of the specific one of the moving objects in response to the lock command, and deactivates the startup lock function of the specific one of the moving objects in response to the lock deactivation command.

8. The moving object monitoring system according to claim 5, wherein the startup lock function is one or both of a function for prohibiting startup of an engine of the moving object and a function for prohibiting an operation of a working actuator of the moving object.