System and method for communication between a central station and remote objects

• US 20020197988A1
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Published: 12/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volvo Lastvagnar AB (AB Volvo)
• Original Assignee: Volvo Technology AB (AB Volvo)
• Inventors: Hellaker, Jan
• Granted Patent: US 7,809,367 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/423
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/002 with telemetering systems telemetering in general G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/007 with remote control systems remote control in general G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems

Abstract

A management, communication and control system including a customer service center 10 with an operator 11. At least one vehicle 20, at least one boat or ship 24, as well as one or more stationary pieces of equipment 25 such as a remote facility or plant that communicates with the service center 10 via a cellular communication network 30 like GSM (European standard) or AMPS (US standard) and/or a satellite communication network 31, either of which is for exchanging information, data and voice communication in both directions. A position of the vehicle(s) 20 is detected by means of a global positioning system (GPS) 40. Emergency assistance vehicles 22 and roadside assistance vehicles 23 can communicate with the service center 10 in a similar manner or in any other way, and are activated by the service center in case of need by one of the remote objects and/or vehicles.

Claims

1. As system for communication between at least one central station (10) and at least one remote mobile or stationary object by means of transmitting and receiving means wherein said at least one object (20, 24, 25) comprises a cellular phone module (202) which provides a private subscription for private usage by a driver or operator of the object (20, 24, 25), and a selectable service subscription for transmitting and managing at least one of the services including remote status information, malfunction, diagnostics and maintenance, technical and emergency assistance by means of the at least one central station (10).

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one central station (10) is a customer service center and the at least one remote object (20, 24, 25) is a vehicle, a boat, a plane or a remote facility or plant.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the service subscription is activated by the central station (10) or the remote object (20, 24, 25).

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein a satellite communication (31) is provided for activation when cellular communication (30) is not available.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one object comprises a controller module (200) for bi-directional communication with a data bus or network manager (201) which is connected with an internal data bus or network (208) of the object.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the at least one object comprises at least one of a user interface manager (205), a satellite communication module (203), a GPS controller (204) and at least one emergency sensor (207) for automatically detecting accidents, emergency or malfunctions of the object.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein a transition from private subscription to service subscription can be initiated by a key press of the operator and/or automatically by means of at least one sensor (207) for detecting accidents, emergency or malfunctions of the object or by means of a further sensor for detecting an air-bag deployment.

8. A method for communication between at least one central station and at least one remote mobile or stationary object in a system wherein the at least one object has implemented a sleep mode (S), a standby mode (W) and a first service execution mode (T1), wherein the sleep mode is terminated when a wake up timer elapsed and the standby mode is activated in which the object waits for an incoming message from the service center via a cellular and/or a satellite communication for a predetermined period of time, after which the sleep mode is again activated if no message has been received or a requested service is activated if a related message has been received and decoded.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the at least one object has a phone mode (P) and a second execution mode (T2), wherein the phone mode is interrupted when a service is requested, until a cellular and/or a satellite communication between the object and the central station has been established and the service has been executed.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein a conflict concerning simultaneous execution of several services during service subscription is handled automatically by assigning and affecting a priority to each service and deactivating any services with a minor priority than the service with a first priority.