Mobile station having waiting process with main power off

• US 8,140,046 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2009
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Kouchiyama, Satoshi, Karashima, Teruhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Ghebretinsae, Temesgh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chan, Richard
• Application Number:
  US12/458,940
• Publication Number:
  US 20090291714A1
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 455/522, 455/343, 455/574, 340/439, 340/539, 340/18
• US Class Current: 455/343.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0274 by switching on or off the equipment or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

While main power in an automobile is off, a telematics station in the automobile intermittently runs to execute a process. The station has a first CPU in a wireless section for a wireless signal waiting process and a second CPU, having active and sleep modes, in a control section for resetting the first CPU. At resetting timing, if the first CPU is executing the process, it outputs a signal indicating that it is executing the process for the second CPU not to reset it. When the main power turns on, the second CPU determines that the signal is not outputted in order to reset the first CPU.

Claims

1. An emergency report system for a vehicle, the system comprising:

a wireless section including a phone module and a GPS receiver for acquiring position information of the vehicle; and

a control section configured to

be coupled with the wireless section via a connector electrically,

include a power circuit to supply the wireless section, the phone module and the GPS receiver with a power, and

receive an ignition switch ON-OFF signal indicating an ON state and an OFF state of an ignition switch of the vehicle,

the wireless section further including a CPU, and

the control section being further configured to output a reset signal to the wireless section via the connector in cases that the ignition switch ON-OFF signal indicating that the ignition switch is switched from the OFF state to the ON state is received, the reset signal being for resetting the CPU of the wireless section.

2. The emergency report system according to claim 1,

the wireless section further including a reset circuit to reset the CPU of the wireless section upon receiving the reset signal from the control section via the connector.

3. The emergency report system according to claim 2,

the control section being further configured to:

transmit the position information, which is acquired by the GPS receiver, to a server station using the phone module, when receiving an airbag-expansion signal indicating that an airbag is expanded; and

prohibit the reset circuit from resetting the CPU when the phone module communicates with the server station in case of receiving the ignition switch ON-OFF signal indicating that the ignition switch is switched from the OFF state to the ON state.

4. An emergency report system for a vehicle, the system comprising:

a wireless section including a phone module and a GPS receiver for acquiring position information of the vehicle; and

a control section configured to

be coupled with the wireless section via a connector electrically,

include a power circuit to supply the wireless section, the phone module and the GPS receiver with a power,

receive (i) an airbag-expansion signal indicating that an airbag is expanded and (ii) an ignition switch ON-OFF signal indicating an ON state and an OFF state of an ignition switch of the vehicle, and

transmit the position information, which is acquired by the GPS receiver, to a server station using the phone module, when receiving the airbag-expansion signal indicating that the airbag is expanded,

the wireless section further including a CPU and a reset circuit to reset the CPU, and

the control section being further configured to, when receiving the ignition switch ON-OFF signal indicating that the ignition switch is switched from the OFF state to the ON state, output a reset signal to the wireless section via the connector, the reset signal being for resetting the CPU of the wireless section using the reset circuit of the wireless section.

5. An emergency report system for a vehicle, the system comprising:

a wireless section including a phone module and a GPS receiver for acquiring position information of the vehicle; and

a control section configured to

be coupled with the wireless section via a connector electrically,

include a power circuit to supply the wireless section, the phone module and the GPS receiver with a power,

receive (i) an airbag-expansion signal indicating that an airbag is expanded and (ii) an ignition switch ON-OFF signal indicating an ON state and an OFF state of an ignition switch of the vehicle, and

transmit the position information, which is acquired by the GPS receiver, to a server station using the phone module, when receiving the airbag-expansion signal indicating that the airbag is expanded,

the wireless section further including a CPU and a reset circuit to reset the CPU,

the control section being further configured to, when receiving the ignition switch ON-OFF signal indicating that the ignition switch is switched from the OFF state to the ON state, output a reset signal to the wireless section via the connector, the reset signal being for resetting the CPU of the wireless section using the reset circuit of the wireless section, and

the control section being further configured to prohibit the reset circuit from resetting the CPU when the phone module communicates with the server station in case of receiving the ignition switch ON-OFF signal indicating that the ignition switch is switched from the OFF state to the ON state.