Voice connection to an intrastructure facility after an event

• US 9,014,677 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2010
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Sthlin, Ulrich, Menzel, Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Chuck
• Application Number:
  US13/146,786
• Publication Number:
  US 20120034905A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,904 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/569.2, 455/575.9, 455/414.2, 455/404.1, 455/425, 455/521, 340/425.5
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a communication system for a vehicle for communicating with nearby vehicles which includes a control unit and a communication unit. After a triggering event occurs, an inquiry is sent to nearby vehicles whether a communication voice connection is to be established. Nearby vehicles can thereupon offer the establishment of the voice connection. This establishment can be accepted or rejected by the communication system.

Claims

1. A communication system for a vehicle for communication of a vehicle with an infrastructure facility, the communication system comprising:

a control unit for controlling the communication; and

a communication unit for conveying data from the vehicle to the infrastructure facility and for receiving data from the infrastructure facility,

wherein the control unit is configured to;

send an inquiry to the infrastructure facility in response to detecting an automatically triggered event at the vehicle, the inquiry indicating a request for establishment of a communication voice connection between the vehicle and the infrastructure facility,

receive a response from the infrastructure facility offering to establish the communication voice connection,

reject the establishment of the communication voice connection when the response sent by the infrastructure facility does not meet a required criterion, and

accept establishment of the communication voice connection when the response sent by the infrastructure facility meets the required criterion,

wherein the required criterion is met when the infrastructure facility is registered in a corresponding list of the communication system.

2. The communication system as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the control unit and the communication unit are arranged for conveying an inquiry to the infrastructure facility as to whether a communication voice connection is to be established between the vehicle and the infrastructure facility.

3. The communication system as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

a vehicle sensor system,

wherein the inquiry is only conveyed when the vehicle sensor system has detected a triggering event.

4. The communication system as claimed in claim 3,

wherein the triggering event is selected from the group consisting of unfitness of the vehicle to drive, accident of the vehicle, transmission of an e-call by a communication unit of the vehicle, driving in a lane for oncoming traffic, and triggering by the driver.

5. The communication system as claimed in claim 3,

wherein the inquiry comprises an information item about the triggering event.

6. The communication system as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the control unit is arranged for automatically accepting or automatically rejecting, respectively, the establishment of the communication voice connection depending on whether the criterion is met or not.

7. The communication system as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the communication system is configured for receiving an inquiry from a corresponding communication system of a nearby vehicle, and

wherein the communication system is configured for selection by a user of a type of triggering event for which the inquiry is to be indicated.

8. The communication system as claimed in claim 7,

wherein the communication system is configured for automatically offering a communication voice connection on reception of the inquiry when a preset condition is met.

9. A vehicle with a communication system as claimed in claim 1.

10. A communication system for an infrastructure facility for communication with a vehicle, the communication system comprising:

a control unit for controlling the communication; and

a communication unit for conveying data from the infrastructure facility to the vehicle and for receiving data from the vehicle,

wherein the control unit is configured for;

sending an inquiry to the infrastructure facility in response to detecting an automatically triggered event at the vehicle, the inquiry indicating a request for establishment of a communication voice connection between the vehicle and the infrastructure facility,

receiving a response from the infrastructure facility offering to establish the communication voice connection,

rejecting the establishment of the communication voice connection when the response sent by the infrastructure facility does not meet a required criterion, and

accepting the establishment of the communication voice connection when the response sent by the infrastructure facility meets the required criterion,

wherein the required criterion is met when the infrastructure facility is registered in a corresponding list of the communication system.

11. A method for communication of a vehicle with an infrastructure facility, the method comprising the steps of:

conveying data from the vehicle to the infrastructure facility;

sending an inquiry to the infrastructure facility in response to detecting an automatically triggered event at the vehicle, the inquiry indicating a request for establishment of a communication voice connection between the vehicle and the infrastructure facility;

receiving a response from the infrastructure facility offering to establish the communication voice connection;

accepting the establishment of the communication voice connection when the response sent by the infrastructure facility meets the required criterion; and

rejecting the establishment of the communication voice connection when the response sent by the infrastructure facility does not meet the required criterion,

wherein the required criterion is met when the infrastructure facility is registered in a corresponding list of the communication system.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11,

wherein the inquiry for the establishment of the communication voice connection is triggered by the conveyance of the data.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium on which a program element is stored which, when it is executed on a processor, instructs the processor to perform the following steps:

conveying data from a vehicle to an infrastructure facility;

sending an inquiry to the infrastructure facility in response to detecting an automatically triggered event at the vehicle, the inquiry indicating a request for establishment of a communication voice connection between the vehicle and the infrastructure facility;

receiving a response from the infrastructure facility offering to establish the communication voice connection;

accepting the establishment of the communication voice connection when the response sent by the infrastructure facility meets the required criterion; and

rejecting the establishment of the communication voice connection when the response sent by the infrastructure facility does not meet the required criterion,

wherein the required criterion is met when the infrastructure facility is registered in a corresponding list of the communication system.