JPH06251292A - Vehicle current position information system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To automatically inform a center of the current position of a vehicle in an emergency state such as an accident. CONSTITUTION:When the expansion command signal of an on-vehicle air-bag expanding device 40 is inputted to a signal processing part 11 of on-vehicle telephone set in case of a collision, the ID code of the vehicle, current position information, and the fact of air bag expansion are sent to the center 30 through the modem and antenna 14 of the on-vehicle telephone 12. Similar operation is performed when the robbery detection signal from a robbery detecting device 50 or the ON signal from an emergency button 60 is sent. Further, similar operation is performed even when a current position reporting request is received from the center 30.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a system for reporting the current position of a vehicle to a service center.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2-79200 discloses a system in which a vehicle-mounted navigation device and a telephone are connected. In this system, the current position information detected by the current position detection means and the destination information input by the destination input means are transmitted to the service center by the in-vehicle telephone, and the service center which receives the information transmits the current position and the target. The optimal route is calculated and transmitted based on the information of the ground. The in-vehicle telephone receives the calculated optimum route and sends it to the navigation device, and the navigation device displays it on the display unit.

[0003]

By the way, it is most important to identify the current position of the vehicle in the event of an accident or other emergency of the vehicle, theft of the vehicle, or the like. For example,
When a traffic accident occurs and the occupant is seriously injured and cannot report, it is necessary to take emergency measures at the scene of the accident as soon as possible.
However, the above system cannot deal with such a case, and in reality, there is room for improvement because of the only way to rely on the notification of a person near the accident site.

[0004]

The present invention has been made to overcome the above problems, and as shown in FIG. 1, a current position detecting means 1 for detecting the current position mounted on a vehicle.
, Requesting means 2 for issuing a request signal for requesting the current position, transmitting means 3 mounted on the vehicle for transmitting an electric wave indicating the current position in response to the request signal, and an electric wave installed in the center for indicating the current position The present invention is directed to a current position reporting system including a receiving means 4 for receiving the. Examples of the requesting means 2 include a control device for a vehicle safety device,
Theft detection device and emergency button are used.
Further, the second transmitting means for transmitting a radio wave representing the request for the current position notification mounted in the center, and mounted on the vehicle,
The requesting means 2 may be configured by the second receiving means that receives this radio wave and supplies the request signal to the transmitting means 3.

[0005]

In the notification system having the above structure, the request means 2
In response to a request signal from the vehicle, for example, an operation command signal for the vehicle safety device, a theft detection signal for the theft detection device, an ON signal from the emergency button, and a radio wave for requesting the current position from the center, the transmitting means 3 transmits the signal to the vehicle. The current position of is sent to the receiving means 4 of the center by radio waves.

[0006]

EXAMPLE An example of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The present position reporting system in this embodiment includes an in-vehicle telephone 10 as a communication means. The in-vehicle telephone 10 includes a signal processing unit 11 including a microcomputer and a modem 12
And a receiver 13 and an antenna 14. By communicating with the telephone station 15 from the handset 13 via the modem 12 and the antenna 14, it is possible to talk with another telephone.
Further, the signal processing unit 11 includes a navigation device 2
0 is connected. The navigation device 20 includes a microcomputer (not shown) and a current position detecting means 2
1, a destination input device, and a display unit (not shown).

The current position detecting means 21 of the navigation device 20 comprises an axle sensor for detecting a number of pulses corresponding to the number of rotations of the axle, and a geomagnetic sensor for detecting a signal corresponding to the direction of the vehicle. The microcomputer calculates the integrated traveling distance of the vehicle based on the input signal from the axle sensor, and calculates the traveling direction of the vehicle based on the input signal from the geomagnetic sensor. Then, the current position of the vehicle is calculated from the data of the departure place, the integrated traveling distance, and the azimuth data. The current position of the vehicle is GPSS (Global P
locating system with Sa
It may be calculated by the tellite) method. Also, the current position may be determined by ground waves from a plurality of ground transmission bases. The navigation device 20 sends the current position information from the current position detecting means 21 and the destination information from the destination input device to the signal processing unit 11. The signal processing unit 11 transmits these pieces of information to the service center 30 via radio waves via the modem 12 and the antenna 14. The service center 30 is provided with a transmitting / receiving means 31 including an antenna, a database 32 of map information, and a host computer 33. The host computer 33 uses the received current position and destination information and the map information of the database 32 to obtain optimum route information. Is calculated and transmitted from the transmitting / receiving means 31. The calculated optimum route information is sent to the navigation device 20 via the antenna 14, the modem 12, and the signal processing unit 11. The navigation device 20 displays the guidance including the traveling direction of the vehicle on the display unit based on the optimum route information and the current position information.

Further, the present position reporting system is equipped with an in-vehicle airbag deployment device 40 (control device for vehicle safety device). The deployment command signal (operation command signal) of the deployment device 40 is not only used as a signal for deploying the airbag, but is also input to the input terminal of the signal processing unit 11. At the time of a collision, the signal processing unit 11 causes the airbag deployment device 4 to operate.
When the deployment instruction signal from 0 is received, the vehicle ID code, the current position information, and the fact of airbag deployment are transmitted to the service center 30 via the modem 12 and the antenna 14.

Further, the current position reporting system includes a theft detection device 50. When the theft occurs, the theft detection signal is input to the other input terminal of the signal processing unit 11, and the signal processing unit 11 sends the ID code of the vehicle, the current position and the theft to the service center 30 via the modem 12 and the antenna 14. Send the facts. The theft detection device 50 of this embodiment shown in FIG. 3 detects theft of the audio device 53. The detection device 50 has a resistor 51, and one end of the resistor 51 has a ground terminal 52 of the audio device 53.
, And the other end is connected to an in-vehicle battery (not shown). The terminal voltage of the resistor 51 on the side of the ground terminal 52 is connected to the input terminal of the signal processing unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted telephone 10. If the audio device 53 is installed as usual, the input terminal of the signal processing unit 11 exhibits a ground level voltage. If the audio device 53 is pulled away from the installation place due to theft, the lead wire between the resistor 51 and the ground terminal 52 is broken, so that the battery voltage is input to the input terminal of the signal processing unit 11.
This voltage change becomes a theft detection signal. Theft detection device 50
May detect the theft of a device other than the audio device by a configuration similar to the above. Furthermore, the theft detection device 50 may output a theft detection signal when the door is broken or the vehicle is operated by a vehicle other than the ignition key.

Further, the vehicle has an emergency button 6
0, and the ON signal is input to the other input terminal of the signal processing unit 11. When the signal processing unit 11 receives this ON signal, it transmits the vehicle ID, the current vehicle position and the fact that an emergency has occurred to the service center 30 via the modem 12 and the antenna 14.

Further, the service center 30 can transmit a radio wave of a request signal for requesting the provision of the current position information of the vehicle from the reception / transmission means 31. This radio wave also includes vehicle ID code information. When the antenna 14 of the vehicle-mounted telephone 10 receives this signal, it is sent to the signal processing unit 11 via the modem 12. The signal processing unit 11 is a modem 12
The vehicle ID, the current position information, and the fact that the current position information is being transmitted in response to a request from the service center 30 are transmitted to the service center 30 via. In addition,
The current position notification request from the service center 30 is executed, for example, when the rental car is not returned even after the renting deadline.

Next, a routine executed by the microcomputer of the signal processing section 11 will be described with reference to FIG. As described above, the deployment command signal from the airbag deployment device 40, the theft detection signal from the theft detection device 50, the ON signal from the emergency button 60, the modem 12
When receiving any of the report request signals from, the interrupt routine is executed. First, in step 100, the current position detected by the current position detecting means is read out, and in the next step 101, it is identified whether the input signal is one of the above. In the next step 102, as described above, the vehicle ID
The code, the current position, and information indicating the vehicle state corresponding to the input signal are output. A vehicle ID code, the current position of the vehicle, and the vehicle state are displayed on the monitor TV of the service center 30. The operator watches this monitor TV and contacts emergency hospitals, police, and fire departments.

In this way, in the event of a traffic accident, theft, a disaster, etc., the current position of the vehicle, the vehicle ID and the vehicle status can be notified as soon as possible, and the driver can be rescued and theft can be prevented. The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment and can have various modes.

[0014]

As described above, according to the present invention, the current position information of the vehicle can be automatically notified to the center when necessary even when the driver is absent or incapable of complicated operation.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram corresponding to a claim of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of the theft detection device of the above embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a routine executed by a microcomputer.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Current Position Detecting Means 2 Requesting Means 3 Sending Means 4 Receiving Means 10 In-Vehicle Phone (Calling Means, Second Receiving Means) 30 Center (Receiving Means, Second Sending Means) 31 Receiving and Sending Means (Receiving Means, Second Sending Means) 40 Air bag deployment device (vehicle safety device control device,
Requesting means) 50 Theft detection device (requesting means) 60 Emergency button (requesting means)

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A current position detecting means for detecting a current position mounted on a vehicle; (b) requesting means for issuing a request signal for requesting notification of the current position; and (c) mounted on a vehicle. In response to the request signal, a transmitting means for transmitting a radio wave indicating the current position detected by the current position detecting means, and (d) a receiving means equipped in the center for receiving the radio wave indicating the current position are provided. Vehicle current position reporting system. 2. A vehicle safety device control device is further provided,
The vehicle current position reporting system according to claim 1, wherein the control device is provided as the requesting means, and an operation command signal for a safety device from the control device is input to the transmitting means as a request signal. 3. The theft detection device is further provided, the theft detection device is provided as the request means, and a theft detection signal from the theft detection device is input to the transmission means as a request signal. Vehicle current position reporting system. 4. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising an emergency button provided on the vehicle, the emergency button being provided as the requesting means, and an ON signal from the emergency button being inputted to the transmitting means as a request signal. Vehicle current position reporting system. 5. A second transmitting means mounted on the center for transmitting a radio wave indicating a request for a current position report, and a second means mounted on a vehicle for receiving the radio wave and supplying a request signal to the transmitting means. The vehicle current position reporting system according to claim 1, further comprising a receiving unit, wherein the second receiving unit and the second transmitting unit cooperate with each other to form a request unit.