Method and apparatus for gathering vehicle information

• US 6,711,495 B1
• Filed: 08/29/2000
• Issued: 03/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Yoshida, Tomiharu, Ukai, Seiji, Shibata, Toshiro, Kawamata, Yukihiro, Shioya, Makoto, Toyama, Atsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc-Coleman, Marthe Y.
• Application Number:
  US09/650,374
• Time in Patent Office: 1,302 Days
• Field of Search: 701/213, 701/29, 701/30, 701/32, 701/36, 701/200, 701/201, 701/207, 701/33, 340/436, 340/901, 342/357.01, 342/357.06, 342/357.07, 342/357.09, 342/457, 342/352
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18576 Satellite systems for providing narrowband data service to fixed or mobile stations, e.g. using a minisatellite, a microsatellite for selecting H04W

Abstract

A method o gathering and analyzing vehicle information is disclosed. A central vehicle-information management center gathers first vehicle information gathered in real time, including position of the vehicle, control of vehicle, and conditions of vehicle parts, and gathers second vehicle information including vehicle type, vehicle identification number, and information regarding users of the vehicles. The central vehicle information management center performs a statistical analysis for the plurality of vehicles based on the first and second information. The first information is transmitted by a transmitter provided on each vehicle, and acquired via a satellite communication system and/or a land-based wireless communication system.

Claims

1. A method of gathering and analyzing information on a plurality of vehicles, comprising:

(a) for each vehicle, acquiring by an information management center at least one of the following pieces of information;

(a1) position information regarding the position of the vehicle;

(a2) vehicle information regarding control of the vehicle and/or conditions of vehicle parts;

(a3) information generated by a sensor provided on the vehicle;

(a4) information on a state of the vehicle obtained by a diagnosing system provided on the vehicle; and

(a5) vehicle identification information including a vehicle type and/or a vehicle number;

(b) conducting a statistical analysis, based on the acquired information, on how much an installed new function has been used; and

(c) storing results of the statistical analysis in a database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the statistical analysis in step (b) is performed for each vehicle type and/or vehicle part.

3. An apparatus of gathering and analyzing information on a plurality of vehicles, comprising:

(a) a vehicle information gathering device for acquiring at least one of the following pieces of information for each vehicle;

(a1) position information regarding the position of the vehicle;

(a2) vehicle information regarding control of the vehicle and/or conditions of vehicle parts;

(a3) information generated by a sensor provided on the vehicle;

(a4) information on a state of the vehicle obtained by a diagnosing system provided on the vehicle; and

(a5) vehicle identification information including a vehicle type and/or a vehicle number;

(b) an information processing device for carrying out a statistical analysis, based on the acquired information, on how much an installed new function has been used; and

(c) a storage device for storing results of the statistical analysis.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the information processing device carries out the statistical analysis for each vehicle type and/or vehicle part.