In-Vehicle System, Detailed Warning Lamp Information Notification System, and Server System

• US 20080316009A1
• Filed: 12/13/2005
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Nagata, Asako
• Granted Patent: US 7,750,795 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/438
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/161 Explanation of functions, e.g. instructions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• 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: F01M 1/18 Indicating or safety devices concerning lubricant level F01M11/06, F01M11/12
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

When a warning lamp 20a on the meter panel lights up in an in-vehicle system 1, the description of the content of warning and coping strategies about the lighted warning lamp are displayed on a display device 13. Thus, a user can be swiftly informed of the description of the content of warning and coping strategies. This can make it unnecessary for the user to spend time and effort looking for a service manual and opening the service manual and searching for appropriate pages, and can enhance user-friendliness.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle system that can be mounted in a vehicle and is so constructed that a warning lamp on a meter panel lights up or flashes in correspondence with an occurrence of an anomaly in the vehicle, comprising:

a controlling means that, when a warning lamp on the meter panel lights up or flashes, causes a notifying means to provide detailed warning lamp information about the lighted or flashing warning lamp.

2. The in-vehicle system according to claim 1, comprising:

a detailed warning lamp information storing means that stores detailed warning lamp information about the warning lamps on the meter panel, wherein

when the warning lamp on the meter panel lights up or flashes, the controlling means reads detailed warning lamp information stored in the detailed warning lamp information storing means, and thereby causes the notifying means to provide detailed warning lamp information about the lighted or flashing warning lamp.

3. The in-vehicle system according to claim 1, comprising:

a first communicating means that can communicate with a server system in a possession of the detailed warning lamp information about the warning lamps on the meter panel through a network, wherein

when the warning lamp on the meter panel lights up or flashes, the controlling means causes the first communicating means to establish a communication line between the first communicating means and the server system, causes the first communicating means to receive detailed warning lamp information from the server system, and thereby causes the notifying means to provide the detailed warning lamp information about the lighted or flashing warning lamp.

4. The in-vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein

the notifying means is constructed of a displaying means capable of displaying characters and images, and

the controlling means causes the displaying means to display detailed warning lamp information through the medium of characters and images.

5. The in-vehicle system according to claim 4, wherein

the controlling means causes the displaying means to display the detailed warning lamp information through the use of a hyperlink function.

6. The in-vehicle system according to claim 4, wherein

the controlling means causes the displaying means to display the detailed warning lamp information through the use of an interaction function.

7. The in-vehicle system according to claim 4, wherein

when a warning lamp on the meter panel lights up or flashes, the controlling means causes the displaying means to display the detailed warning lamp information about the lighted or flashing warning lamp provided that a first predetermined operation is performed by the user.

8. The in-vehicle system according to claim 7, wherein

the displaying means is constructed of the display device of an automobile navigation system that displays a warning icon in conjunction with the warning lamp on the meter panel lighting up or flashing;

and

when a warning lamp on the meter panel lights up or flashes, the controlling means causes the display device to display the detailed warning lamp information about the lighted or flashing warning lamp provided that the warning icon displayed on the display device is operated by the user as the first predetermined operation.

9. The in-vehicle system according to claim 1, comprising:

a second communicating means that can communicate with an operator system manned by operators and a dealer system manned by dealer'"'"'s personnel through a network, wherein

when the warning lamp on the meter panel lights up or flashes, the controlling means causes the second communicating means to establish the communication line between the second communicating means and the operator system or the dealer system provided that a second predetermined operation is performed by the user.

10. The in-vehicle system according to claim 9, wherein

the displaying means is constructed of the display device of an automobile navigation system that displays a help icon in conjunction with the warning lamp on the meter panel lighting up or flashing;

and

when the warning lamp on the meter panel lights up or flashes, the controlling means causes the second communicating means to establish the communication line between the second communicating means and the operator system or the dealer system provided that a help icon displayed on the display device is operated by the user as the second predetermined operation.

11. The in-vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein

when the warning lamp on the meter panel lights up or flashes, the controlling means causes the notifying means to provide the detailed warning lamp information about the lighted or flashing warning lamp and further determines whether or not an emergency stop is required, and, when the controlling means detects that the emergency stop is required, causes the notifying means to notify of the necessity for making the emergency stop.

12. The in-vehicle system according to claim 11, wherein:

when the controlling means detects that an emergency stop is required, the controlling means causes the automobile navigation system to carry out route search with a safe place where an emergency stop can be made taken as the destination and to provide route guidance in accordance with the retrieved route.

13. The in-vehicle system according to claim 11, wherein

when the controlling means detects that an operation for making the emergency stop has not been performed by the user, the controlling means carries out processing to prompt the user to perform an operation for making the emergency stop.

14. The in-vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein

the controlling means possesses history information on the state of a user vehicle, and, when a warning lamp on the meter panel lights up or flashes, causes the notifying means to provide detailed warning lamp information about the lighted or flashing warning lamp, and further causes the notifying means to provide the history information on the state of the user vehicle as well.

15. A detailed warning lamp information notification system so constructed that the notification system comprising:

an in-vehicle system that can be mounted in a vehicle and is so constructed that a warning lamp on the meter panel lights up or flashes in correspondence with an occurrence of an anomaly in the vehicle; and

a server system that can communicate with the in-vehicle system through a network, wherein

when a warning lamp on the meter panel lights up or flashes, the in-vehicle system transmits a detailed warning lamp information request signal to the server system,

the server system possesses detailed warning lamp information about the warning lamps on the meter panel, and, when the server system receives the detailed warning lamp information request signal from the in-vehicle system, transmits the detailed warning lamp information to the in-vehicle system, and

when the in-vehicle system receives detailed warning lamp information from the server system, the in-vehicle system provides the received detailed warning lamp information.

16. The detailed warning lamp information notification system according to claim 15, wherein

the server system also possesses history information on the state of a user vehicle and information on failure in vehicles of the same model, and, when the server system receives the detailed warning lamp information request signal from the in-vehicle system, also transmits the history information on the state of the user vehicle and information on failure in vehicles of the same model to the in-vehicle system.

17. A server system used in a detailed warning lamp information notification system together with an in-vehicle system that can be mounted in a vehicle and is so constructed that a warning lamp on the meter panel lights up or flashes in correspondence with the occurrence of an anomaly in the vehicle, wherein

the server system possesses detailed warning lamp information about the warning lamps on the meter panel, and, when the server system receives a detailed warning lamp information request signal from the in-vehicle system, transmits the detailed warning lamp information to the in-vehicle system.

18. The server system according to claim 17, wherein

the server system also possesses history information on the state of a user vehicle and information on failure in vehicles of the same model, and, when the server system receives a detailed warning lamp information request signal from the in-vehicle system, also transmits the history information on the state of the user vehicle and the information on failure in vehicles of the same model to the in-vehicle system.