Uploading and managing vehicle position information

• US 6,766,244 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2002
• Issued: 07/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nakagawa, Hiroyuki, Tajima, Takahiro, Gonmori, Naohiko, Obata, Hirotaka, Ijichi, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc-Coleman, Marthe Y.
• Application Number:
  US10/087,387
• Publication Number:
  US 20020123840A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 701/207, 701/202, 701/204, 701/213, 340/988, 340/989, 340/982, 340/994, 340/990
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/207 with respect to certain areas, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas with possible alerting when inside or outside boundaries

Abstract

A technology is provided for timely reporting on vehicle positions to a control center without unnecessary spending on communication costs. The positions of a plurality of moving bodies which are being managed are detected. Determinations are made on whether or not the positions of these moving bodies are within specified multi-stage distance ranges. As a result of this determination, when the position of the moving body enters into a distance range for one of the stages, the position of this moving body is wirelessly reported to a control center.

Claims

1. A mobile system to be installed in a vehicle monitored by a vehicle position management system having a detection device configured to detect a position of the vehicle, the mobile system comprising:

a storage module configured to store a plurality of checkpoints associated with a planned route of the vehicle;

an evaluation module configured to evaluate whether or not a vehicle position obtained from the detection device of the vehicle position management system is within a predetermined distance range organized as a plurality of radius distances from the checkpoint; and

an output module configured to generate and output a signal based on evaluation by the evaluation module to provide wireless reporting of the vehicle position to a control center of the vehicle position management system when the vehicle position enters the distance range of one of the radius distances.

2. The mobile system of claim 1 wherein the output module is configured to generate and output a signal, if the evaluation module indicates that the vehicle position is outside the predetermined distance range, to provide wireless reporting of the vehicle position to the control center of the vehicle position management system at predetermined time intervals.

3. The mobile system of claim 2 wherein the storage module is configured to receive from the control center operations settings data containing the planned route and the checkpoints and to store the operations settings data, when the output module generates and outputs the signal to provide wireless reporting of the vehicle position to the control center.

4. The mobile system of claim 1 wherein the storage module is configured to receive from the control center operations settings data containing the planned route and the checkpoints and to store the operations settings data, when the output module generates and outputs the signal to provide wireless reporting of the vehicle position to the control center.

5. A mobile system to be installed in a vehicle monitored by a vehicle position management system having a detection device configured to detect a position of the vehicle, the mobile system comprising:

a storage module configured to store a plurality of checkpoints associated with a planned route of the vehicle;

an evaluation module configured to evaluate whether or not a vehicle position obtained from the detection device of the vehicle position management system is within a predetermined distance range organized as a plurality of radius distances from the checkpoint; and

an output module configured to generate and output a signal, if the evaluation module indicates that the vehicle position is outside the predetermined distance range, to provide wireless reporting of the vehicle position to the control center of the vehicle position management system at predetermined time intervals.

6. The mobile system of claim 5 wherein the output module is configured to generate and output a signal based on evaluation by the evaluation module to provide wireless reporting of the vehicle position to a control center of the vehicle position management system when the vehicle position enters the distance range of one of the radius distances.

7. The mobile system of claim 5 wherein the storage module is configured to receive from the control center operations settings data containing the planned route and the checkpoints and to store the operations settings data, when the output module generates and outputs the signal to provide wireless reporting of the vehicle position to the control center.

8. A vehicle position management system comprising:

a detection device configured to detect a position of the vehicle;

a mobile system which includes;

a mobile system storage module configured to store a plurality of checkpoints associated with a planned route of the vehicle;

an evaluation module configured to evaluate whether or not a vehicle position obtained from the detection device of the vehicle position management system is within a predetermined distance range organized as a plurality of radius distances from the checkpoint; and

a mobile system output module configured to generate and output a signal based on evaluation by the evaluation module to provide wireless reporting of the vehicle position when the vehicle position enters the distance range of one of the radius distances; and

a vehicle position control system which includes;

a control system storage module configured to store operations settings data including the planned route of the vehicle and the plurality of checkpoints associated with the planned route;

a monitoring module configured to detect when the output module generates and outputs the signal to provide wireless reporting of the vehicle position; and

a control system output module configured to read and wirelessly send the planned route and the operations settings data to the mobile system when the output module generates and outputs the signal to provide wireless reporting of the vehicle position as detected by the monitoring module.

9. The vehicle position management system of claim 8 wherein the mobile system output module is configured to generate and output a signal, if the evaluation module indicates that the vehicle position is outside the predetermined distance range, to provide wireless reporting of the vehicle position to the control center of the vehicle position management system at predetermined time intervals.

10. The vehicle position management system of claim 8 wherein the mobile system storage module is configured to receive from the control system output module operations settings data containing the planned route and the checkpoints and to store the operations settings data, when the output module generates and outputs the signal to provide wireless reporting of the vehicle position.

11. A method for managing vehicles, comprising:

detecting a position of a vehicle being managed;

evaluating whether or not the detected vehicle position of the vehicle is within a predetermined distance range organized as a plurality of radius distances from one of a plurality of checkpoints associated with a planned route of the vehicle; and

wirelessly reporting the vehicle position to a control center when the vehicle position enters the distance range of one of the radius distances.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising wirelessly reporting the vehicle position to a control center at predetermined time intervals, if the evaluated vehicle position is outside the predetermined distance range.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising wirelessly receiving from the control center operations settings data containing the planned route and the checkpoints and storing the operations settings data, when the output module generates and outputs the signal to provide wireless reporting of the vehicle position to the control center.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising wirelessly receiving from the control center operations settings data containing the planned route and the checkpoints and storing the operations settings data, when the output module generates and outputs the signal to provide wireless reporting of the vehicle position to the control center.

15. A method for managing vehicles, comprising:

detecting a position of a vehicle being managed;

evaluating whether or not the detected vehicle position of the vehicle is within a predetermined distance range organized as a plurality of radius distances from one of a plurality of checkpoints associated with a planned route of the vehicle; and

wirelessly reporting the vehicle position to a control center at predetermined time intervals, if the evaluated vehicle position is outside the predetermined distance range.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising wirelessly reporting the vehicle position to a control center when the vehicle position enters the distance range of one of the radius distances.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising wirelessly receiving from the control center operations settings data containing the planned route and the checkpoints and storing the operations settings data, when the output module generates and outputs the signal to provide wireless reporting of the vehicle position to the control center.

18. A computer program product stored on a computer readable medium for managing vehicles, the computer program product comprising:

code for detecting a position of a vehicle being managed;

code for evaluating whether or not the detected vehicle position of the vehicle is within a predetermined distance range organized as a plurality of radius distances from one of a plurality of checkpoints associated with a planned route of the vehicle; and

code for wirelessly reporting the vehicle position to a control center when the vehicle position enters the distance range of one of the radius distances.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 further comprising code for wirelessly reporting the vehicle position to a control center at predetermined time intervals, if the evaluated vehicle position is outside the predetermined distance range.

20. The computer program product of claim 18 further comprising code for wirelessly receiving from the control center operations settings data containing the planned route and the checkpoints and storing the operations settings data, when the output module generates and outputs the signal to provide wireless reporting of the vehicle position to the control center.

21. A mobile system to be installed in a vehicle monitored by a vehicle position management system having a detection device configured to detect a position of the vehicle, the mobile system comprising:

a storage module configured to store a plurality of checkpoints associated with a planned route of the vehicle;

an evaluation module configured to evaluate whether or not a vehicle position obtained from the detection device of the vehicle position management system is within a predetermined distance range organized as a plurality of regions including the checkpoint; and

an output module configured to generate and output a signal based on evaluation by the evaluation module to provide wireless reporting of the vehicle position to a control center of the vehicle position management system when the vehicle position enters the distance range of one of the regions.