Car sharing system and in-vehicle apparatus for car sharing system

• US 10,242,516 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2015
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Konishi, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaawat, Mussa A
• Application Number:
  US15/514,038
• Publication Number:
  US 20170278329A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,289 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/10 Services
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/00 Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points handling coins or valuable papers, e.g. banknotes, G07D; apparatus for vending or hiring articles or services activated by coins, credit cards, paper currency or the like G07F7/00, G07F17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

A car sharing system includes: an IC card carried by a user and including an identification ID of the user; an in-vehicle apparatus that is mounted on a vehicle, and includes a card reading portion reading the IC card and a switch control portion performing an on-off control of a vehicle power source switch that allows traveling of a vehicle; and a management apparatus that is disposed in a reservation management center, wirelessly communicates with the in-vehicle apparatus, manages an operation status of the vehicle, and further manages reservation information. The in-vehicle apparatus reads the IC card by the card reading portion and, based on authentication of an the identification ID by collation between the identification ID, which is read, and the reservation information, executes a check-in process of the vehicle and turns on the vehicle power source switch.

Claims

1. A car sharing system comprising:

an IC card that is carried by a user and includes an identification ID of the user;

an in-vehicle apparatus that is mounted on a vehicle, and includes a card reading portion reading the IC card and a switch control portion performing an on-off control of a vehicle power source switch that allows traveling of a vehicle; and

a management apparatus that is disposed in a reservation management center, wirelessly communicates with the in-vehicle apparatus, manages an operation status of the vehicle, and further manages reservation information,

wherein;

the in-vehicle apparatus performs a first reading operation of the IC card with the card reading portion in response to a first touch of the card reading portion with the IC card by the user, executes a check-in process of the vehicle based on authentication of the identification ID by collation between the identification ID, which is read, and the reservation information, performs a second reading operation of the IC card with the card reading portion in response to a second touch of the card reading portion with the IC card by the user after execution of the check-in process, and turns on the vehicle power source switch.

2. The car sharing system according to claim 1, wherein:

the in-vehicle apparatus does not turn on the vehicle power source switch to start traveling when the second reading operation of the IC card is not performed within a set time from the first reading operation of the IC card to collate the reservation information.

3. The car sharing system according to claim 1, wherein:

the in-vehicle apparatus includes a position detection portion detecting a position of the vehicle, and

the in-vehicle apparatus turns off the vehicle power source switch based on determination that the vehicle is in a stopover state, when a stop position of the vehicle is not located within a geo-fence of a station.

4. The car sharing system according to claim 1, wherein:

the in-vehicle apparatus includes a position detection portion that detects a position of the vehicle, and

the in-vehicle apparatus performs confirmation of check-out with the user when a stop position of the vehicle is located within a geo-fence of a station.

5. The car sharing system according to claim 4, wherein:

the in-vehicle apparatus reads the IC card of the user by the card reading portion after the confirmation of check-out with the user, and performs a check-out process of the vehicle and turns off the vehicle power source switch when the identification ID, which is read, is authenticated.

6. The car sharing system according to claim 5, wherein:

the in-vehicle apparatus does not perform the check-out process of the vehicle when a reading operation of the IC card of the user is not performed by the card reading portion within a set time after the confirmation of check-out with the user.

7. The car sharing system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a vehicle side ECU that is mounted on the vehicle and communicates with the in-vehicle apparatus,

wherein

the vehicle side ECU does not allow traveling of the vehicle when a control signal turning on the vehicle power source switch is not output from the in-vehicle apparatus in a state where the vehicle power source switch is turned on.

8. The car sharing system according to claim 7, wherein:

the vehicle side ECU gives notification indicating that the traveling of the vehicle is not allowed when the vehicle side ECU does not allow traveling of the vehicle.

9. The car sharing system according to claim 1 further comprising:

an external terminal that communicates with the management apparatus,

wherein;

the external terminal transmits first instruction information to the management apparatus to instruct check-in to the vehicle, and

the management apparatus transmits second instruction information to the in-vehicle apparatus to instruct check-in to the vehicle upon reception of the first instruction information from the external terminal, causing the vehicle power source switch to be turned on with execution of a check-in process of the vehicle.

10. The car sharing system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an external terminal that communicates with the management apparatus,

wherein;

the external terminal transmits first check-out information to the management apparatus to instruct check-out from the vehicle; and

the management apparatus transmits second check-out information to the in-vehicle apparatus to instruct check-out from the vehicle upon reception of the first check-out information from the external terminal, causing the vehicle power source switch to be turned off with execution of a check-out process of the vehicle.

11. The car sharing system according to claim 1, wherein:

the in-vehicle apparatus includes a position detection portion that detects a position of the vehicle; and

the in-vehicle apparatus performs a process allowing traveling of the vehicle when a stop position of the vehicle is positioned within a geo-fence of a station.

12. An in-vehicle apparatus for a car sharing system, the in-vehicle apparatus comprising:

a card reading portion that reads an IC card including an identification ID of a user;

a switch control portion that performs an on-off control of a vehicle power source switch that allows traveling of a vehicle; and

a communication portion that wirelessly communicates with a management apparatus in a reservation management center,

wherein;

the switch control portion is configured to;

perform a first reading operation of the IC card with the card reading portion in response to a first touch of the card reading portion with the IC card by the user;

execute a check-in process of the vehicle based on a collation between the identification ID read during the first reading operation and information for authentication managed by the management apparatus and on authentication of the identification ID,

perform a second reading operation of the IC card with the card reading portion in response to a second touch of the card reading portion with the IC card by the user after the check-in process, and

turn on the vehicle power source switch.

13. The in-vehicle apparatus for a car sharing system according to claim 12, wherein:

the switch control portion does not transmit to the vehicle, the on-control signal to turn on the vehicle power source switch to start traveling when the second reading operation of the IC card is not performed within a set time from the first reading operation of the IC card to collate the reservation information.

14. The in-vehicle apparatus for a car sharing system according to claim 12, further comprising:

a position detection portion that detects a position of the vehicle,

wherein;

the switch control portion transmits to the vehicle, an off-control signal to turn off the vehicle power source switch based on determination that the vehicle is in a stopover state, when a stop position of the vehicle is not located within a geo-fence of a station.

15. The in-vehicle apparatus for a car sharing system according to claim 12, further comprising:

a position detection portion that detects a position of the vehicle,

wherein;

the switch control portion performs confirmation of check-out with the user when a stop position of the vehicle is located within a geo-fence of a station.

16. The in-vehicle apparatus for a car sharing system according to claim 15, wherein:

the switch control portion reads the IC card of the user by the card reading portion after the confirmation of check-out with the user, and performs a check-out process of the vehicle and transmits to the vehicle an off-control signal that turns off the vehicle power source switch when the identification ID, which is read, is authenticated.

17. The in-vehicle apparatus for a car sharing system according to claim 16, wherein:

the switch control portion does not perform the check-out process of the vehicle when a reading operation of the IC card of the user is not performed by the card reading portion within a set time after the confirmation of check-out with the user.

18. The in-vehicle apparatus for a car sharing system according to claim 12, further comprising:

a position detection portion that detects a position of the vehicle,

wherein;

the switch control portion performs a process allowing traveling of the vehicle when the vehicle is positioned within a geo-fence of a station.

19. A car sharing system comprising:

an in-vehicle apparatus that is mounted on a vehicle, and includes a card reading portion reading an IC card and a switch control portion performing an on-off control of a vehicle power source switch that allows traveling of a vehicle;

a management apparatus that is disposed in a reservation management center, wirelessly communicates with the in-vehicle apparatus, manages an operation status of the vehicle, and further manages reservation information; and

an external terminal that communicates with the management apparatus,

wherein;

the external terminal transmits first instruction information to the management apparatus to instruct check-in to the vehicle in response to execution of an operation to perform a check-in by an operator that has been requested by a user through a telephone; and

the management apparatus transmits second instruction information to the in-vehicle apparatus to instruct check-in to the vehicle upon reception of the first instruction information from the external terminal, causing the vehicle power source switch to be turned on with execution of a check-in process of the vehicle.

20. A car sharing system comprising:

an in-vehicle apparatus that is mounted on a vehicle, and includes a card reading portion reading an IC card and a switch control portion performing an on-off control of a vehicle power source switch that allows traveling of a vehicle;

a management apparatus that is disposed in a reservation management center, wirelessly communicates with the in-vehicle apparatus, manages an operation status of the vehicle, and further manages reservation information; and

an external terminal that communicates with the management apparatus,

wherein;

the external terminal transmits first check-out information to the management apparatus to instruct check-out from the vehicle in response to execution of an operation to perform a check-out by an operator that has been requested by a user through a telephone; and

the management apparatus transmits second check-out information to the in-vehicle apparatus to instruct check-out from the vehicle upon reception of the first check-out information from the external terminal, causing the vehicle power source switch to be turned off with execution of a check-out process of the vehicle.

21. An in-vehicle apparatus for a car sharing system, the in-vehicle apparatus comprising:

a switch control portion that performs an on-off control of a vehicle power source switch that allows traveling of a vehicle; and

a communication portion that wirelessly communicates with a management apparatus in a reservation management center,

wherein;

the switch control portion performs a check-in process of the vehicle and turns on the vehicle power source switch upon reception of second instruction information transmitted from the management apparatus to the communication portion to instruct check-in to the vehicle in response to execution of an operation to perform a check-in by an operator that has been requested by a user through a telephone and in response to first instruction information transmitted from the external terminal to the management apparatus to instruct check-in to the vehicle.

22. An in-vehicle apparatus for a car sharing system, the in-vehicle apparatus comprising:

a switch control portion that performs an on-off control of a vehicle power source switch that allows traveling of a vehicle; and

a communication portion that wirelessly communicates with a management apparatus in a reservation management center,

wherein;

the switch control portion performs a check-out process of the vehicle and turns off the vehicle power source switch upon reception of second check-out information transmitted from the management apparatus to the communication portion to instruct check-out from the vehicle in response to execution of an operation to perform a check-out by an operator that has been requested by a user through a telephone and in response to first check-out information transmitted from the external terminal to the management apparatus to instruct check-out from the vehicle.