Remote control system and remote control method

• US 20070055415A1
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Published: 03/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Taki, Naoki, Niwa, Atsushi
• Granted Patent: US 7,751,946 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2009 Antitheft state indicator
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2018 Central base unlocks or authorises unlocking

Abstract

In a remote control system, the remote control of a vehicle function is executed. The remote control system includes a control terminal and a cancellation device. The control terminal transmits a request for the remote control of the vehicle function to a vehicle. The cancellation device cancels the remote control of the vehicle function if the local control of the vehicle function is requested before the remote control of the vehicle function is executed according to the request for the remote control.

Claims

1. A remote control system in which a remote control of a vehicle function is executed, comprising:

a control terminal that transmits a request for the remote control of the vehicle function to a vehicle; and

a cancellation device that cancels the remote control of the vehicle function, wherein the cancellation device cancels the remote control of the vehicle function if a local control of the vehicle function is requested before the remote control of the vehicle function is executed according to the request for the remote control.

2. The remote control system according to claim 1, wherein the cancellation device cancels the remote control of the vehicle function if a local-control request time at which the local control of the vehicle function is requested is later than a remote-control request time at which the remote control of the vehicle function is requested.

3. The remote control system according to claim 1, wherein the cancellation device cancels the remote control of the vehicle function if a local-control request time at which the local control of the vehicle function is requested is earlier than a time at which the remote control of the vehicle function is started in the vehicle.

4. The remote control system according to claim 3, wherein the cancellation device cancels the remote control of the vehicle function if the local-control request time is earlier than the time at which the remote control of the vehicle function is started in the vehicle, and earlier than a time at which a process of determining whether a precondition for executing the remote control is satisfied is completed.

5. The remote control system according to claim 2, wherein the remote-control request time is a time at which a vehicle user operates the control terminal to transmit the request for the remote control to the vehicle.

6. The remote control system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a communications center that transmits, to the vehicle, the request for the remote control transmitted from the control terminal,

wherein the remote-control request time is a time at which the communications center receives, from the control terminal, the request for the remote control.

7. The remote control system according to claim 2, wherein the local-control request time is a time at which the vehicle receives a request for the local control of the vehicle function.

8. The remote control system according to claim 4, wherein the precondition is satisfied in at least one of i) a case where an interval between a time at which the vehicle receives the request for the remote control and a remote-control request time at which the remote control is requested is less than a predetermined value;

ii) a case where conflicting remote controls are not requested substantially simultaneously;

iii) a case where an ignition switch and an accessory switch of the vehicle are off, iv) a case where the vehicle is unoccupied and there is no vehicle key in the vehicle; and

v) a case where an actual state of the vehicle will be changed if the requested remote control is executed.

9. The remote control system according to claim 1, wherein the cancellation device cancels the remote control of the vehicle function if the local control of the vehicle function is requested after the vehicle receives the request for the remote control from the control terminal, and before the remote control of the vehicle function is executed.

10. A remote control method in which a remote control of a vehicle function is executed, comprising the step of:

transmitting a request for the remote control of the vehicle function to a vehicle; and

canceling the remote control of the vehicle function if a local control of the vehicle function is requested before the remote control of the vehicle function is executed according to the request for the remote control of the vehicle function.

11. The remote control method according to claim 10, wherein the remote control of the vehicle function is cancelled if a local-control request time at which the local control of the vehicle function is requested is later than a remote-control request time at which the remote control of the vehicle function is requested.

12. The remote control method according to claim 10, wherein the remote control of the vehicle function is cancelled if a local-control request time at which the local control of the vehicle function is requested is earlier than a time at which the remote control of the vehicle function is started in the vehicle.

13. The remote control method according to claim 12, wherein the remote control of the vehicle function is cancelled if the local-control request time is earlier than the time at which the remote control of the vehicle function is started in the vehicle, and earlier than a time at which a process of determining whether a precondition for executing the remote control is satisfied is completed.

14. The remote control method according to claim 11, wherein the remote-control request time is a time at which a vehicle user operates a control terminal to transmit the request for the remote control to the vehicle.

15. The remote control method according to claim 11, wherein a communications center transmits, to the vehicle, the request for the remote control transmitted from a control terminal;

and the remote-control request time is a time at which the communications center receives, from the control terminal, the request for the remote control.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the local-control request time is a time at which the vehicle receives a request for the local control of the vehicle function.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein the precondition is satisfied in at least one of i) a case where an interval between a time at which the vehicle receives the request for the remote control and the remote-control request time at which the remote control is requested is less than a predetermined value;

ii) a case where conflicting remote controls are not requested substantially simultaneously;

iii) a case where an ignition switch and an accessory switch of the vehicle are off;

iv) a case where there is no person and no vehicle key in the vehicle; and

v) a case where an actual state of the vehicle will be changed if the requested remote control is executed.

18. The remote control method according to claim 10, wherein the remote control of the vehicle function is cancelled if the local control of the vehicle function is requested after a vehicle receives the request for the remote control from a control terminal, and before the remote control of the vehicle function is executed.

19. A remote control system in which a remote control of a vehicle function is executed, comprising:

a control terminal that transmits a request for the remote control of the vehicle function to a vehicle; and

cancellation means for canceling the remote control of the vehicle function if a local control of the vehicle function is requested before the remote control of the vehicle function is executed according to the request for the remote control.