Vehicle information collection system and method thereof

• US 7,155,322 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2003
• Issued: 12/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Yokota, Takayoshi, Inoue, Takeshi, Nakahara, Takashi, Tushiki, Takumi, Yamane, Kennichirou
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US10/668,312
• Publication Number:
  US 20040064337A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,189 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701 32- 33, 701/35, 701/117, 705/1, 705/5, 705 7- 9, 705 13- 14, 340438-439, 340988-990, 340/445, 4554141-414
• US Class Current: 701/35
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• 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

Abstract

A vehicle information specification determining function is built in the on-board terminal installed on a vehicle to determine the specification for vehicle information collection. An information center determines service charges according to the vehicle information specification determined by the vehicle information specification determining function.

Claims

1. A vehicle information collection system in which vehicle information collected by a unit mounted on a vehicle is transmitted to an information center which provides a service making use of the vehicle information, wherein the unit mounted on the vehicle comprises:

communication means for receiving from said information center a plurality of items of vehicle information specification according to said service to be provided;

operation input means for inputting a plurality of selected items of the vehicle information specification to be selected from among the plurality of items of the vehicle information specification received from said information center;

means for storing the selected items of the vehicle information specification inputted; and

means for storing the vehicle information relating to conditions of the vehicle, based on said selected items of the vehicle information specification, wherein said transmission means transmits the stored vehicle information to said information center.

2. The vehicle information collection system according to claim 1, wherein a time period during which the vehicle information collected by the unit mounted on the vehicle is transmitted is determined either by an operation of direction means provided with the vehicle mounted unit or by the vehicle'"'"'s having reached a point which meets a predetermined condition.

3. The vehicle information collection system according to claim 2, wherein when the selected specification of the vehicle information has been selected, charges or discount rates thereof are displayed at the vehicle mounted unit and the charges or the discount rates thereof are adjusted according to setting operation of the selected specification of the vehicle.

4. A vehicle mounted unit for collecting vehicle information to be transmitted to a provider for providing a service based on the collected vehicle information, said vehicle mounted unit comprising:

communication means for receiving from said information center a plurality of items of vehicle information specification according to the service to be provided;

display means for displaying said plurality of items of vehicle information specification received;

operation input means for inputting a plurality of selected items of the vehicle information specification to be selected among the plurality of items of the vehicle information specification received from said information center;

storing means for storing the selected items of the vehicle information specification inputted; and

recording means for recording vehicle information relating to conditions of a vehicle mounting said unit, based on said stored selected items of the vehicle information specification;

wherein said transmission means transmits the recorded vehicle information to said information center.

5. The vehicle mounted unit according to claim 4, further comprising operation means for indicating a time period during which the vehicle information collected by the vehicle mounted unit is transmitted, wherein said recording means records the vehicle information based on an indication from said operation means.

6. A vehicle information collection method for a vehicle having a unit mounted on the vehicle for collecting vehicle information to be transmitted to an information center for providing a service based on the collected vehicle information, the vehicle information collecting method comprising:

receiving at said vehicle mounted unit a plurality of items of vehicle information specification dependent on the service to be provided;

storing at said vehicle mounted unit a plurality of selected items of the vehicle information specification to be selected among the plurality of items of the vehicle information specification received from said information center;

storing vehicle information relating a condition of the vehicle based on the selected items of the vehicle information specification; and

transmitting the stored vehicle information to said information center.

7. The vehicle information collection method according to claim 6, wherein:

charges or discount rates thereof are displayed at said vehicle mounted unit upon selection of the specification of the vehicle information; and

the charges or the discount rates are adjusted according to a setting operation of the selected specification.