Remote control method and system, vehicle with remote controllable function, and control server

• US 8,421,590 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2011
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Taki, Naoki, Watanabe, Atsushi, Otsuka, Mayumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, QUANG
• Application Number:
  US13/064,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20110187513A1
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426.13, 340/426.1, 340/426.15, 340/426.17
• US Class Current: 340/5.64
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2009 Antitheft state indicator
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2018 Central base unlocks or authorises unlocking
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

A remote control method for remotely controlling the operation of equipment furnished in a vehicle in response to a remote control request generated by a remote controller is provided. The method comprises the steps of (a) acquiring vehicle status information from the vehicle; (b) determining whether to operate particular vehicle equipment designated by the remote control request based on the vehicle status information; and (c) regulating the remote control request based on the determination result representing acceptability of remote-control operation of the requested vehicle equipment.

Claims

1. A remote control method for remotely controlling operation of a particular vehicle equipment furnished in a vehicle in response to a remote control request generated by a remote controller, the method comprising:

transmitting the remote control request on the particular vehicle equipment from the remote controller to a control center;

acquiring a prior remote control result at the vehicle, the prior remote control result representing whether another remote control request has been made and completed on the particular vehicle equipment;

acquiring at the control center the prior remote control result from the vehicle;

determining at the control center whether or not the prior remote control result of another remote control request which has been made and completed on the particular vehicle equipment is received from the vehicle based on the prior remote control result; and

transmitting a remote control instruction from the control center to the vehicle if the prior remote control result of another remote control request that has been made and completed on the particular vehicle equipment is received from the vehicle,

wherein the remote control instruction is not transmitted from the control center to the vehicle if the prior remote control result of another remote control request that has been made and completed on the particular vehicle equipment has not been received from the vehicle.

2. The remote control method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon receipt of the remote control instruction, detecting at the vehicle a local operation state;

determining at the vehicle whether to operate the vehicle equipment based on whether the detected local operation state satisfies the prescribed condition; and

executing the remote control request if the prescribed condition is satisfied.

3. A remote control method for remotely controlling operation of a particular vehicle equipment furnished in a vehicle in response to a remote control request generated by a remote controller, the method comprising:

transmitting the remote control request on the particular vehicle equipment from the remote controller to a control center;

acquiring a local operation state at the vehicle, the local operation state representing local operation performed by a person;

transmitting the local operation state from the vehicle to the control center in response to a request from the control center; and

determining at the control center and transmitting a remote control instruction from the control center to the vehicle if there is no local operation which has been made and being performed on the particular vehicle equipment,

wherein the remote control instruction is not transmitted from the control center to the vehicle if there is the local operation that has been made and being performed on the particular vehicle equipment.