Status notification system, status notification apparatus, and response apparatus

• US 6,573,831 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2001
• Issued: 06/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kamon, Yoshiyuki, Ikeda, Kiyokazu
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US09/891,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20020041240A1
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• Field of Search: 340/505, 340/521, 340/518, 340/531, 340/825.51, 340/539, 455/517, 128/903, 700/9
• US Class Current: 340/505
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

A system to detect a status of a movable body having a status notification system from information supplied by a plurality of sensors installed on the movable body selectively transmits sensor information to a response apparatus connected to another network in a wireless manner based upon a result of the detection, and when the response apparatus requests additional sensor information, the status notification system transmits the stored sensor information selectively, thereby executing only the communication necessary for movable body rescue and support activities.

Claims

1. A status notification system for automatically wirelessly communicating status information supplied from a plurality of sensors installed on said movable body, comprising:

a status sensing unit for transmitting predetermined data to said response unit through said communication unit when said movable body has a predetermined status based upon data obtained from said plurality of sensors and for selectively transmitting said data obtained from said plurality of sensors when an additional information transmission request is received from said response unit through said communication unit;

a response unit;

a communication unit for wirelessly communicating with said status sensing unit and for communicating with said response unit, wherein

said response unit receives said predetermined data from said status sensing unit through said communication unit, determines whether an acquisition of said additional information is necessary based upon said predetermined data, and requests said transmission of said additional information from said status sensing unit when said acquisition of said additional information is necessary;

said status sensing unit having;

input means for inputting sensing information sensed from said plurality of sensors;

storage means for storing said sensing information inputted by said input means;

sensing means for sensing whether said sensing information is within a predetermined range;

first communication means for wirelessly communicating with said response unit; and

first control means for selecting predetermined sensing information from said sensing information stored in said storage means when said movable body having said sensing unit is in said predetermined status, for controlling said first communication means to wirelessly transmit said selected sensing information to said response unit, and for reading said requested additional information from said storage means to transmit said read additional information when said acquisition request is received from said response unit;

said communication unit having;

wireless communication means for wirelessly communicating with said status sensing unit;

network communication means for communicating with said response unit connected to said network; and

conversion means for converting a data format of said wireless communication and a data format of said network communication; and

said response unit having;

second communication means for communicating with said status sensing unit through said network;

evaluation means for evaluating said status of said movable body having said status sensing unit from said predetermined sensing information supplied from said status sensing unit; and

second control means for controlling said second communication means to transmit acquisition request information for requesting said additional information to said status sensing unit when said additional information request is necessary based upon an evaluation result from said evaluation means.

2. The status notification system according to claim 1, wherein said sensing information inputted from said plurality of sensors into said status sensing unit is positional information about said movable body.

3. The status notification system according to claim 1, wherein said sensing information inputted from said plurality of sensors into said status sensing unit is a result of sensing an acceleration applied to said movable body.

4. The status notification system according to claim 1, wherein said sensing information inputted from said plurality of sensors into said status sensing unit is a result of sensing a speed of said movable body.

5. The status notification system according to claim 1, wherein said sensing information inputted from said plurality of sensors into said status sensing unit is one of internal images and external images of said movable body.

6. The status notification system according to claim 5, wherein said additional information is one of said internal images and said external images.

7. The status notification system according to claim 1, wherein said sensing information inputted from said plurality of sensors into said status sensing unit is one of internal audio information and external audio information of said movable body.

8. The status notification system according to claim 7, wherein said additional information is one of said internal audio information and said external audio information.

9. A status notification apparatus for automatically wirelessly communicating a status of a movable body to a response unit connected to a network through a commutation unit, comprising:

input means for inputting a plurality of pieces of sensing information sensed from a plurality of sensors;

storage means for storing said plurality of pieces of sensing information inputted by said input means;

sensing means for sensing whether said plurality of pieces of sensing information is within a predetermined range;

communication means for wirelessly communicating with said communication unit; and

control means for selecting predetermined sensing information from said plurality of pieces of sensing information inputted from said plurality of sensors when said plurality of pieces of sensing information is within said predetermined range, for controlling said communication means to transmit said selected sensing information to said response unit as initial information through a communication unit, and for controlling said communication means to selectively read requested sensing information from said storage means and to transmit said read sensing information to said response unit when an additional information request signal is received from said response unit.

10. The status notification apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said sensing information inputted from said plurality of sensors into said status sensing unit is positional information about said movable body.

11. The status notification apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said sensing information inputted from said plurality of sensors into said status sensing unit is a result of sensing an acceleration applied to said movable body.

12. The status notification apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said sensing information sensed by said sensing means is a result of sensing an acceleration applied to said movable body.

13. The status notification apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said status corresponding to said acceleration is a collision of said movable body.

14. The status notification apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said sensing information inputted from said plurality of sensors into said status sensing unit is a result of sensing a speed of said movable body.

15. The status notification apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said sensing information inputted from said plurality of sensors into said status sensing unit is one of internal images and external images of said movable body.

16. The status notification apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said additional information is one of said internal images and said external images.

17. The status notification apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said sensing information inputted from said plurality of sensors into said status sensing unit is one of internal audio information and external audio information of said movable body.

18. The status notification apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said additional information is one of said internal audio information and said external audio information.

19. The status notification apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said status notification system further comprises map reproduction means for reproducing map information and image display means for displaying said reproduced map information.

20. The status notification apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said map information includes a current location of said movable body.

21. The status notification apparatus according to claim 20, wherein information representing a current location of another movable body moving relative to said movable body is displayed on said image display means when said predetermined sensing information is transmitted to said response unit.

22. The status notification apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said information representing paid current location of said another movable body is received by said communication means.

23. The status notification apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

operation means operated by a user of said status notification apparatus, wherein said control means transmits said sensing information to said response unit when said operation means is operated by said user.

24. A response apparatus for communicating via a network with a status notification apparatus which selectively transmits information supplied from a plurality of sensors installed on a movable body by wirelessly communicating with a communication unit, comprising:

communication means for network-communicating with said communication unit;

evaluation means for evaluating predetermined sensing data selectively supplied from said status notification apparatus; and

control means for controlling said communication means to transmit an additional information transmission request signal requesting a transmission of additional sensor information to said status notification apparatus when a reception of further sensor information from said status notification apparatus is necessary based upon a result of an evaluation performed by said evaluating means, wherein said additional information includes image/audio data provided by said sensors installed on said movable body.

25. The response apparatus according to claim 24, further comprising:

storage means for storing said additional sensor information supplied from said status notification apparatus in response to said additional information transmission request signal.

26. The response apparatus according to claim 24, wherein when an evaluation result of said sensor information supplied from said status notification apparatus is within a predetermined range said response apparatus issues a command for moving another movable body to a current location of said movable body having said status notification apparatus.

27. The response apparatus according to claim 24, wherein when an evaluation result of said sensor information supplied from said status notification apparatus is within a predetermined range said response apparatus selectively transmits said sensor information supplied from said status notification apparatus to another unit.

28. The response apparatus according to claim 27, wherein said another unit to which said sensor information is transmitted is a rescue request acceptance unit controlled by police.

29. The response apparatus according to claim 27, wherein said another unit to which said sensor information is transmitted is a receiver installed at an insurance company which manages an insurance policy covering said movable body.

30. The response apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said sensor information requested by said additional information transmission request signal is image information.

31. The response apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said sensor information requested by said additional information transmission request signal is audio information.