Remote Control Method and System, Vehicle with Remote Controllable Function, and Control Server

• US 20080266051A1
• Filed: 12/22/2005
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Taki, Naoki, Watanabe, Atsushi, Otsuka, Mayumi
• Granted Patent: US 7,999,654 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2009 Antitheft state indicator
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2018 Central base unlocks or authorises unlocking
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

A remote control method for remotely controlling the operation of equipment furnished in a vehicle in response to a remote control request generated by a remote controller is provided. The method comprises the steps of (a) acquiring vehicle status information from the vehicle; (b) determining whether to operate particular vehicle equipment designated by the remote control request based on the vehicle status information; and (c) regulating the remote control request based on the determination result representing acceptability of remote-control operation of the requested vehicle equipment.

Claims

1. A remote control method for remotely controlling operation of equipment furnished in a vehicle in response to a remote control request generated by a remote controller, the method comprising the steps of:

acquiring vehicle status information from the vehicle;

determining whether to operate particular vehicle equipment designated by the remote control request based on the vehicle status information; and

regulating the remote control request based on the determination result representing acceptability of remote-control operation of the requested vehicle equipment.

2. The remote control method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting the remote control request from the remote controller to the vehicle;

detecting at the vehicle a vehicle status;

determining at the vehicle whether to operate the vehicle equipment based on whether the detected vehicle status satisfies a prescribed condition; and

executing the remote control request if the prescribed condition is satisfied.

3. The remote control method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting the remote control request from the remote controller to a control center;

acquiring at the control center the vehicle status information from the vehicle;

determining at the control center whether to operate the vehicle equipment based on whether the vehicle status information satisfies a prescribed condition; and

transmitting a remote control instruction from the control center to the vehicle if the prescribed condition is satisfied.

4. The remote control method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

acquiring at the remote controller the vehicle status information from the vehicle;

determining at the remote controller whether to operate the vehicle equipment based on whether the received vehicle status information satisfies a prescribed condition; and

transmitting the remote control request from the remote controller to the vehicle if the vehicle status information satisfies the prescribed condition.

8. The remote control method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

acquire at the remote controller first vehicle status information from the vehicle;

determining at the remote controller whether the first vehicle status information satisfies a first condition;

transmitting the remote control request to the vehicle if the first vehicle status information satisfies the first condition;

acquiring at the vehicle second vehicle status information;

determining at the vehicle whether the second vehicle status information satisfies a second condition; and

executing the remote control request if the second condition is satisfied.

5. A remote control system including a remote controller and a vehicle which system is configured to remotely control vehicle equipment according to a remote control request generated by the remote controller, wherein

the remote controller has a remote control request generation unit configured to generate a remote control request in response to a user'"'"'s manipulation;

the vehicle has a vehicle status detection unit configured to detect a local operation state in the vehicle and a prior remote control result with respect to particular vehicle equipment, and

at least one of the remote controller and the vehicle has a remote control request determination unit configured to determine whether to activate the particular vehicle equipment according to the remote control request based on at least one of the local operation state and the prior remote control result.

6. The remote control system of claim 5, further comprising:

a control center provided between the remote controller and the vehicle, the control center having;

a vehicle status information acquiring unit configured to acquire vehicle status information representing the local operation state and the prior remote control result from the vehicle;

a determination unit configured to determine whether to activate the particular vehicle equipment, in place of the determination unit of the remote controller or the vehicle, based on whether the vehicle status information satisfies a prescribed condition; and

a transmitter configured to transmit a remote control instruction to the vehicle if the prescribed condition is satisfied.

7. The remote control system of claim 5, further comprising:

a control center provided between the remote controller and the vehicle, the control center having

a vehicle status information acquiring unit configured to acquire the prior remote control result from the vehicle;

a determination unit configured to determine whether the prior remote control result satisfies a first condition; and

a transmitter configured to transmit a remote control instruction to the vehicle if the first condition is satisfied,

wherein the remote control request determination unit is provided to the vehicle, and the vehicle determines whether to activate the particular vehicle equipment based on the local operation state upon receiving the remote control instruction from the control center.

9. A vehicle with a remote controllable function comprising:

a vehicle status detection unit configured to detect a vehicle status including a local operation state in the vehicle and a prior remote control result;

a remote control request determination unit configured to determine whether to activate prescribed vehicle equipment based on the detected vehicle status when receiving a remote control request generated by a remote controller; and

an actuator configured to actuate the prescribed vehicle equipment if the vehicle status satisfies a prescribed condition.

10. A control server used in a remote control system and provided between a vehicle and a remote controller, the server comprising:

a vehicle status information acquiring unit configured to acquire vehicle status information from the vehicle;

a remote control request determination unit configured to determine whether to activate prescribed equipment furnished in the vehicle based on the vehicle status information when receiving a remote control request from the remote controller; and

a remote control instruction generation unit configured to generate and supply a remote control instruction to the vehicle if the vehicle status information represents that there is no other competitive remote control request with respect to the particular equipment.