Vehicular communication system, mobile communication terminal, and vehicular apparatus

• US 8,839,366 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2012
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Aida, Toshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Okeke, Izunna
• Application Number:
  US13/545,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20130019279A1
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• US Class Current: 726/3
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6075 adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/48 for in-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits

Abstract

A vehicular communication system includes a mobile communication terminal, an in-vehicle apparatus, and a distribution center to distribute a content. The mobile communication terminal includes a terminal-side application to execute a content. The in-vehicle apparatus includes a vehicle-side application to execute a content. If the mobile communication terminal and the in-vehicle apparatus are not communicably connected, the terminal-side application of the mobile communication terminal executes a content acquired from the distribution center. If the mobile communication terminal and the in-vehicle apparatus are communicably connected, the terminal-side application and the vehicle-side application are caused to be cooperative and the vehicle-side application of the in-vehicle apparatus is enabled to execute a content acquired by the mobile communication terminal.

Claims

1. A vehicular communication system comprising:

a distribution center that distributes a content;

a mobile communication terminal including

a content acquisition section to acquire the content distributed from the distribution center and

a terminal-side application to execute the content; and

a vehicular apparatus that is enabled to be communicably connected with the mobile communication terminal and includes a vehicle-side application to execute a content,

wherein;

when the mobile communication terminal and the vehicular apparatus are not connected, the terminal-side application of the mobile communication terminal executes the content acquired by the content acquisition section,

when the mobile communication terminal and the vehicular apparatus are connected, the terminal-side application and the vehicle-side application cooperate with each other and the vehicle-side application of the vehicular apparatus executes the content acquired by the content acquisition section of the mobile communication terminal,

the vehicular apparatus further includes a distribution request section to request a content that is distributed to the vehicular apparatus,

the mobile communication terminal further includes an analysis section to determine whether a connection with the distribution center is necessary in order to acquire the content requested by the distribution request section for distribution,

the analysis section determines that the connection with the distribution center is necessary when the content requested by the distribution request section is not contained in the mobile communication terminal,

the analysis section determines that the connection with the distribution center is unnecessary when the content requested by the distribution request section is contained in the mobile communication terminal,

when the analysis section determines that the connection with the distribution center is necessary, the content acquisition section establishes a connection with the distribution center, and acquires, from the distribution center, the content requested, and

when the analysis section determines that the connection with the distribution center is unnecessary, the content acquisition section acquires, as the content requested, the content contained in the mobile communication terminal.

2. The vehicular communication system according to claim 1, wherein:

when the mobile communication terminal and the vehicular apparatus are connected, the mobile communication terminal causes the content acquisition section to acquire the content in accordance with a result of analyzing a request transmitted from the vehicular apparatus.

3. The vehicular communication system according to claim 1, wherein:

when a user manipulation activates the vehicle-side application under a state where the terminal-side application is activated,

a connection of a predetermined profile between the vehicular apparatus and the mobile communication terminal is established based on a profile connection request from the vehicular apparatus to the mobile communication terminal to connect the predetermined profile, to enable the terminal-side application and the vehicle-side application to operate in cooperation.

4. The vehicular communication system according to claim 1, wherein:

the mobile communication terminal and the vehicular apparatus are configured to be communicably connected using a single predetermined profile;

the vehicle-side application includes a plurality of applications, each of the plurality of applications executing an associated content that is associated with the each of the plurality of applications; and

the each of the plurality of applications includes

a content execution function to execute the associated content and

a library to provide a function different from the content execution function to execute the associated content, the content execution function and the different function being enabled to be simultaneously executed.

5. The vehicular communication system according to claim 1, wherein:

the mobile communication terminal and the vehicular apparatus are configured to be communicably connected using a plurality of predetermined profiles;

the vehicle-side application includes a plurality of applications, each of the plurality of applications executing an associated content that is associated with the each of the plurality of applications, a number of the plurality of applications being greater than a number of the plurality of predetermined profiles; and

the each of the plurality of applications includes

a content execution function to execute the associated content and

a library to provide a function different from the content execution function to execute the associated content, the content execution function and the different function being enabled to be simultaneously executed.

6. The vehicular communication system according to claim 1, wherein:

the distribution center includes

an authentication server that authenticates the mobile communication terminal and

a content server that provides the content to the mobile communication terminal authenticated by the authentication server.

7. The vehicular communication system according to claim 6, wherein:

the mobile communication terminal, once authenticated by the authentication server, is enabled to directly access the content server.

10. The vehicular communication system according to claim 1, wherein

the vehicle-side application of the vehicular apparatus acquires the content requested, from the distribution center via the mobile communication terminal.

11. The vehicular communication system according to claim 1, wherein

when the terminal-side application and the vehicle-side application are activated by the mobile communication terminal and the vehicular apparatus, respectively, a connection is established between the vehicular apparatus and the mobile communication terminal.

8. A mobile communication terminal included in a vehicular communication system together with a distribution center and a vehicular apparatus, the distribution center distributing a content, the vehicular apparatus including a vehicle-side application to execute a content,

the mobile communication terminal comprising:

a content acquisition section to acquire a content distributed from the distribution center;

a terminal-side application to execute the content; and

an analysis section that determines whether a connection with the distribution center is necessary in order to acquire a content requested by the vehicular apparatus upon receiving a request of distributing the content requested from the vehicular apparatus, wherein

when the mobile communication terminal and the vehicular apparatus are not communicatively connected, the terminal-side application of the mobile communication terminal executes the content acquired by the content acquisition section,

when the mobile communication terminal and the vehicular apparatus are communicatively connected, the terminal-side application and the vehicle-side application cooperate with each other and the content acquisition section acquires a content from the distribution center and transmits the content to the vehicular apparatus to enable the vehicle-side application of the vehicular apparatus to execute the content,

the analysis section determines that the connection with the distribution center is necessary when the content requested by the vehicular apparatus is not contained in the mobile communication terminal,

the analysis section determines that the connection with the distribution center is unnecessary when the content requested by the vehicular apparatus is contained in the mobile communication terminal,

when the analysis section determines that the connection with the distribution center is necessary, the content acquisition section establishes a connection with the distribution center, and acquires, from the distribution center, the content requested, and

when the analysis section determines that the connection with the distribution center is unnecessary, the content acquisition section acquires, as the content request, the content contained in the mobile communication terminal.

9. A vehicular apparatus included in a vehicular communication system together with a distribution center and a mobile communication terminal, the distribution center distributing a content, the mobile communication terminal including a content acquisition section to acquire a content that is distributed from the distribution center and a terminal-side application to execute the content, the vehicular apparatus being enabled to be communicably connected with the mobile communication terminal,

the vehicular apparatus comprising:

a vehicle-side application to execute a content; and

a distribution request section to request from the mobile communication terminal a content that is distributed to the vehicular apparatus, wherein

when the mobile communication terminal and the vehicular apparatus are communicatively connected, the terminal-side application and the vehicle-side application cooperate with each other and the vehicle-side application of the vehicular apparatus executes the content acquired from the distribution center by the content acquisition section of the mobile communication terminal,

when the content requested is not contained in the mobile communication terminal, the mobile communication terminal transmits to the vehicular apparatus, as the content requested, the content acquired from the distribution center, and

when the content requested is contained in the mobile communication terminal, the mobile communication terminal transmits to the vehicular apparatus, as the content requested, the content contained in the mobile communication apparatus.

12. A program product stored in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions for execution by a computer, the instructions including a computer-implemented method for a mobile communication terminal included in a vehicular communication system together with a distribution center and a vehicular apparatus, the distribution center distributing a content, the vehicular apparatus including a vehicle-side application to execute the content,

the mobile communication terminal including (i) a content acquisition section to acquire a content distributed from the distribution center and (ii) a terminal-side application to execute the content,

wherein:

when the mobile communication terminal and the vehicular apparatus are not communicatively connected, the terminal-side application of the mobile communication terminal executes the content acquired by the content acquisition section; and

when the mobile communication terminal and the vehicular apparatus are communicatively connected, the terminal-side application and vehicle-side application cooperate with each other and the content acquisition section acquires a content from the distribution center and transmits the content to the vehicular apparatus to enable the vehicle-side application of the vehicular apparatus to execute the content,

the instructions for implementing the steps of;

receiving, from the vehicular apparatus, a request that requests a content that is distributed to the vehicular apparatus;

determining whether a connection with the distribution center is necessary in order to acquire the content requested from the vehicular apparatus,

determining that the connection with the distribution center is necessary when the content requested is not contained in the mobile communication terminal, whereas

determining that the connection with the distribution center is unnecessary when the content requested is contained in the mobile communication terminal; and

acquiring the content requested by establishing a connection with the distribution center to acquire, from the distribution center, the content requested when the connection with the distribution center is determined to be necessary; and

acquiring the content requested, from inside of the mobile communication terminal, when the connection with the distribution center is determined to be unnecessary.

13. The program product according to claim 12, further comprising the instructions being for further implementing the steps of:

establishing a connection between the vehicular apparatus and the mobile communication terminal when the terminal-side application and the vehicle-side application are activated by the mobile communication terminal and the vehicular apparatus, respectively, before the step of receiving the request.

14. A program product stored in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions for execution by a computer, the instructions including a computer implemented method for a computer of a mobile communication terminal, the mobile communication terminal being in communication with a distribution center and a vehicular apparatus, wherein the distribution center distributes a content and the vehicular apparatus includes a vehicle-side application to execute the content, the program product instructs the mobile communication terminal to execute steps comprising:

acquiring a content distributed from the distribution center;

executing the content acquired when the mobile communication terminal is not in communication with the vehicular apparatus;

transmitting the content acquired from the distribution center to the vehicular apparatus when the mobile terminal is in communication with the vehicle apparatus;

receiving a request of a content distributed to the vehicular apparatus from the vehicular apparatus;

determining whether a connection with the distribution center is necessary in order to acquire the content requested from the vehicular apparatus;

determining that the connection with the distribution center is necessary when the content requested is not contained in the mobile communication terminal;

determining that the connection with the distribution center is unnecessary when the content requested is contained in the mobile communication terminal;

acquiring the content requested by establishing a connection with the distribution center to acquire, from the distribution center, the content requested when the connection with the distribution center is determined to be necessary; and

acquiring the content requested from within the mobile communication terminal when the connection with the distribution center is determined to be unnecessary.

15. The program product of claim 14 further instructs the mobile communication terminal to execute step comprising:

establishing a connection with the vehicular apparatus when the terminal-side application and the vehicle-side application are activated by the mobile communication terminal and the vehicular apparatus, respectively, before the step of receiving the request from the vehicular apparatus.