Repair and maintenance support system and a car corresponding to the system

• US 6,438,471 B1
• Filed: 10/12/2001
• Issued: 08/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Mikami, Yoshiro, Sano, Kenji, Katagishi, Makoto, Fujii, Teruo
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US09/974,832
• Time in Patent Office: 312 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/30, 701/32, 701/33, 701/34, 701/200-215, 705/13, 705/22, 705/28, 705/29, 705/413, 340/992, 340/993, 340/995, 340/990, 340/988, 342/457, 342/357.13
• US Class Current: 701/33
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

The present invention provides a system for performing procedures to request repair, without troubling the driver, when a car breaks down, as well as various onboard peripheral apparatuses and cellular phone used for this system.

This system comprises an onboard peripheral apparatus having a failure detector, an onboard main controller for managing car information, a cellular phone which can make wireless connection to the onboard main controller, and a response center for receiving requests for car repairs and maintenance and making arrangements therefor. When a failure is detected, repair request is transmitted to the response center through wireless communication together with the user ID of the driver. Based on this request, the response center acquires remedy information from a car manufacturer and makes arrangements for repair and provides this remedy information to a repair shop.

Claims

1. A repair and maintenance support system comprising:

an onboard peripheral apparatus installed on a vehicle and having a failure detector;

an onboard main controller installed on the vehicle and having a controller for managing car information from said onboard peripheral apparatus; and

a response center being capable of receiving information from said onboard main controller through wireless communication;

wherein said response center comprises a process controller, a first repair-reception database storing data on a failure based on failure information received from said onboard main controller, a first customer database storing data relating to customer-related matters, and a first remedy database storing data on failure remedies; and

said process controller configured to acquire information on a particular failure remedy from a second remedy database established at a car manufacturer based on said failure information, and provide an instruction of remedy by transmitting said information on the particular failure remedy, to a shop for carrying out the instruction of remedy.

2. A repair and maintenance support system according to claim 1, wherein said process controller of said response center is able to access the second remedy database at said car manufacturer for storing data on remedies, a second repair-reception database at said shop for storing failures received, and a second customer database at a settlement corporation for storing customer-related matters.

3. A repair and maintenance support system according to claim 2, wherein said process controller provides said shop with the instruction of remedy, and then send information relating to a repair fee charged by said shop to said settlement corporation and instruct said settlement corporation to bill a customer.

4. A response center being capable of receiving failure information relating to a car failure from an onboard main controller installed on a vehicle through wireless communication and having a controller for managing the operating situation of the car;

wherein said response center comprises a process controller, a first repair-reception database storing data on a failure based on said failure information received from said onboard main controller, a first customer database storing data on customer-related matters, and a first remedy database storing data on failure remedies; and

said process controller configured to acquire information on a particular failure remedy from a second remedy database established at the car manufacturer based on said failure information, and provide an instruction of remedy by transmitting said information on the particular failure remedy to a shop for carrying out the instruction of remedy.

5. A response center according to claim 4, wherein said process controller of said response center is able to access the second remedy database at said car manufacturer for storing data on remedies, a second repair-reception database at said shop for storing failures received, and a second customer database at a settlement corporation for storing customer-related matters.

6. A response center, according to claim 4, wherein said process controller is configured to:

provide said shop with the instruction of remedy,

send information relating to a repair fee charged by said shop to said settlement corporation and

instruct said settlement corporation to bill a customer.

7. A car comprising a power system;

a driving system driven by said power system;

a braking system installed in this driving system;

an onboard peripheral apparatus having failure detection means for detecting one or more failures in at least one of said power system, driving system, and braking system; and

an onboard main controller having a controller for managing car information from said onboard peripheral apparatus;

wherein, said controller provides an instruction to pull over and stop, while transmitting information on the one or more failures and identification (ID) information through wireless communication, when the one or more failures is detected in at least one of said power system, driving system, and braking system.

8. A car according to claim 7, wherein said onboard main controller is able to communicate with a cellular phone through a wireless connection and is able to transmit said information on the one or more failures through said cellular phone.

9. A car, according to claim 8, wherein said cellular phone transmits said ID information with said information on the one or more failures, and said ID information is the telephone number of said cellular phone.

10. A car, according to claim 8, wherein said cellular phone is enabled to communicate through a wireless connection with said onboard main controller when a predetermined operation is performed;

and said controller of said onboard main controller sends said information on the one or more failures to said cellular phone in response to a command from said cellular phone.

11. A repair and maintenance support system comprising:

an onboard peripheral apparatus installed on a vehicle and having a failure detector;

an onboard main controller installed on said vehicle and having a connected display and a controller for managing car information from said onboard peripheral apparatus;

a cellular phone being capable of communicating with said onboard main controller through a wireless connection;

a response center for receiving a car repair request and for arranging maintenance, said response center being connected to a fixed transmission circuit network; and

wherein, said car manufacturer is configured to distribute repair information relating to the vehicle, by transmitting said repair information and car information corresponding to said car repair request through the fixed transmission circuit network to the response center;

said response center, upon receiving said repair information and car information corresponding to said car repair request, searches a database established therein, and extracts a user ID of said cellular phone related to the vehicle, and transmits said car information and said user ID to the cellular phone;

said cellular phone, is configured to send, upon receiving said repair information, said car information, and said user ID, said repair information and said car information through a wireless connection to said onboard main controller; and

the onboard main controller, upon receiving said repair information and said car information displays said repair information on the display based on the received repair and car information.

12. A repair and maintenance support method comprising the steps of:

indicating a warning of pulling over and stopping on an indicator in a car when a failure is detected;

displaying contents of said failure on a display when said car has stopped; and

sending a repair request through wireless communication to a response center, along with failure information, car information, position information, and ID information when a predetermined operation is performed on an onboard main controller in the car.