Reporting system, reporting control method, and handheld device

• US 9,481,298 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2014
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omron Automotive Electronics Company Limited (Nidec Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Omron Automotive Electronics Company Limited (Nidec Corporation)
• Inventors: Tomita, Yosuke, Sakai, Manabu, Inaguma, Takahiro, Takizawa, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Backer, Firmin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Aziz, Adnan
• Application Number:
  US14/327,308
• Publication Number:
  US 20150015385A1
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• Field of Search: 340/436, 340/539.18
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/10 Services
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/001 Alarm cancelling procedures or alarm forwarding decisions, e.g. based on absence of alarm confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/006 Alarm destination chosen according to type of event, e.g. in case of fire phone the fire service, in case of medical emergency phone the ambulance
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/66 with means for preventing unauthorised or fraudulent calling verifying user identity or authority in secret or secure digital communications H04L9/32

Abstract

A reporting system has a first handheld device that locks and unlocks a door of a vehicle, and a second handheld device that communicates with the first handheld device. The first handheld device has an inside/outside determination unit that carries out wireless communication with the vehicle and acquires, with the vehicle, information of inside/outside determination on whether the first handheld device is inside the vehicle or outside the vehicle, and a transmitting unit that transmits the result of the inside/outside determination. The second handheld device has a receiving unit that receives the result of the determination from the first handheld device.

Claims

1. A reporting system comprising:

a first handheld device that locks and unlocks a door of a vehicle; and

a second handheld device that communicates with the first handheld device,

wherein the first handheld device comprises;

an inside/outside determination unit that carries out wireless communication with the vehicle via one or more antennas provided on the vehicle and acquires, from the vehicle, information of inside/outside determination on whether the first handheld device is inside the vehicle or outside the vehicle; and

a transmitting unit that transmits the result of the inside/outside determination, and

wherein the second handheld device comprises;

a receiving unit that receives the result of the determination from the first handheld device;

a mode setting unit that sets a first mode in which automatic reporting about a vehicle accident is carried out, if the result of the determination indicates being inside the vehicle, and that sets a second mode in which the automatic reporting is not carried out, if the result of the determination indicates being outside the vehicle;

an impact detecting unit that carries out detection of an impact on the second handheld device; and

a reporting unit that carries out the automatic reporting when an impact of a predetermined strength or greater on the second handheld device is detected in the case where the first mode is set.

2. The reporting system according to claim 1,

wherein the first handheld device is a vehicle key FOB used for a remote control to lock and unlock the door of the vehicle, and

wherein the second handheld device is a mobile phone.

3. The reporting system according to claim 2,

wherein the first mode is a state were an application program to carry out the automatic reporting is started up, and

wherein the second mode is a state where the application program is not started up.

4. The reporting system according to claim 1,

wherein the communication between the first handheld device and the second handheld device is short-range wireless communication, and

wherein the second handheld device carries out the automatic reporting to a predetermined center via a mobile communication network.

5. The reporting system according to claim 1,

wherein the inside/outside determination unit receives the result of the determination from the vehicle.

6. The reporting system according to claim 1,

wherein the inside/outside determination unit carries out the inside/outside determination based on the result of wireless communication with the vehicle.

7. The reporting system according to claim 2,

wherein the communication between the first handheld device and the second handheld device is short-range wireless communication, and

wherein the second handheld device carries out the automatic reporting to a predetermined center via a mobile communication network.

8. The reporting system according to claim 3,

wherein the communication between the first handheld device and the second handheld device is short-range wireless communication, and

wherein the second handheld device carries out the automatic reporting to a predetermined center via a mobile communication network.

9. The reporting system according to claim 2,

wherein the inside/outside determination unit receives the result of he determination from the vehicle.

10. The reporting system according to claim 3,

wherein the inside/outside determination unit receives the result of the determination from the vehicle.

11. The reporting system according to claim 4,

wherein the inside/outside determination unit receives the result of the determination from the vehicle.

12. The reporting system according to claim 2,

wherein the inside/outside determination unit carries out the inside/outside determination based on the result of wireless communication with the vehicle.

13. The reporting system according to claim 3,

wherein the inside/outside determination unit carries out the inside/outside determination based on the result of wireless communication with the vehicle.

14. The reporting system according to claim 4,

wherein the inside/outside determination unit carries out the inside/outside determination based on the result of wireless communication with the vehicle.

15. A reporting control method comprising:

an inside/outside determination step and a transmission step executed by a key FOB used to lock and unlock a door of a vehicle; and

a receiving step, a mode setting step, an impact detection step, and reporting step executed by a handheld device that communicates with the key FOB,

wherein the inside/outside determination step comprises;

carrying out wireless communication with the vehicle via one or more antennas provided on the vehicle, and

acquiring, from the vehicle, information about inside/outside determination on whether the key FOB is inside the vehicle or outside the vehicle;

wherein the transmission step comprises;

transmitting a result of the inside/outside determination,

wherein the receiving step comprises;

receiving the result of the determination from the key FOB,

wherein the mode setting step comprises;

setting a first mode in which automatic reporting about a vehicle accident is carried out, if the result of the determination indicates being inside the vehicle, and

setting a second mode in which the automatic reporting is not carried out, if the result of the determination indicates being outside the vehicle,

wherein the impact detection step comprises;

detecting an impact on the handheld device, and

wherein the reporting step comprises;

carrying out the automatic reporting when an impact of a predetermined strength or greater on the handheld device is detected in the case where the first mode is set.

16. A handheld device comprising:

a receiving unit that receives information about inside/outside determination on whether a key FOB used to lock and unlock a door of a vehicle is inside the vehicle or outside the vehicle, from the key FOB, wherein the key FOB acquires the information about the inside/outside determination based on wireless communication with the vehicle;

a mode setting unit that sets a first mode in which automatic reporting about a vehicle accident is carried out, if the key FOB is inside the vehicle, and that sets a second mode in which the automatic reporting is not carried out, if the key FOB is outside the vehicle;

an impact detecting unit that carries out detection of an impact; and

a reporting unit that carries out the automatic reporting when an impact of a predetermined strength or greater on the impact detecting unit is detected in the case where the first mode is set.

17. The handheld device according to claim 16,

wherein the first mode is a state where an application program to carry out the automatic reporting is started up, and the second mode is a state where the application program is not started up.