Vehicular communication system and vehicular communication program

• US 8,438,597 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2009
• Issued: 05/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Asahara, Nobuaki, Igarashi, Ryoji, Anzai, Hidehiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Chenea
• Application Number:
  US12/579,878
• Publication Number:
  US 20100146562A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,300 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/44
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/09 Arrangements for receiving desired information automatically according to timetables
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/13 Arrangements for device control affected by the broadcast information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/51 of receiving stations

Abstract

According to a vehicular communication system (10) of the present invention, a specified time slot in compliance with one broadcast time slot corresponded to one attribute pertinent to or possessed by a vehicle (1) among a plurality of attributes corresponded to a plurality of broadcast time slots of programs, respectively, according to the broadcast program list. Even though the IGN switch (101) of the vehicle (1) is set at the OFF state, the vehicular communication system (10) is operated or kept at the operating state so as to receive the program broadcasted in the specified time slot.

Claims

1. A vehicular communication system mounted in a vehicle, comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

receive a broadcast program list, when an ignition (IGN) switch of the vehicle is at an ON state and the vehicular communication system is at an operating state;

retrieve a position of the vehicle at a time when the IGN switch of the vehicle is switched from the ON state to an OFF state;

set a specified time slot in compliance with one of a plurality of broadcast time slots corresponding to one of a plurality of where covering the retrieved position of the vehicle in connection with the received broadcast program list, when the IGN switch of the vehicle is switched from the ON state to the OFF state, the plurality of areas serving as a plurality of attributes and corresponding to the plurality of broadcast time slots, respectively;

switch the vehicular communication system to the operating state on a condition that a present time is contained in the specified time slot when the IGN switch of the vehicle is at the OFF state and the vehicular communication system is at a standby state; and

receive a broadcast program, when the IGN switch of the vehicle is at the OFF state and the vehicular communication system is at a starting state;

wherein a minimum power is supplied to the vehicular communication system in the standby state, and

a greater power is supplied to the vehicular communication system in the operating state than in the standby state.

2. The vehicular communication system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to set the specified time slot in compliance with one broadcast time slot corresponding to one vehicular identifier group containing a vehicular identifier of the vehicle among a plurality of vehicular identifier groups for identifying vehicles, and the plurality of vehicular identifier groups are served as the plurality of attributes contained in the broadcast program list.

3. The vehicular communication system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive as the broadcast program a Point of Interest (POI) information or a software programmed to apply a function to a device mounted in the vehicle.

4. The vehicular communication system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured put the operating vehicular communication system into a sleep mode on a condition that the broadcast program has been received or the specified time slot has elapsed.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores a vehicular communication program configured to make a vehicular computer provided with a wireless communication device function as the vehicular communication system of claim 1.