JPH1063980A - Vehicle position monitoring system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle position monitoring system in which an operable range is relatively wide, and running costs are relatively low by preferentially using radio communication in a place where the radio communication such as business radio or MCA(multichannel access) radio can be used, and using a telephone line by a portable telephone or the like in a place where the radio communication can not be used. SOLUTION: In a vehicle position monitoring system, data are communicated between an on-vehicle equipment 10 mounted on a vehicle and a monitoring device 1 set at a monitoring center by using a radio line or a telephone line, and vehicle position is monitored at the monitoring center side. Then, when the communication by the radio line between the on-vehicle equipment 10 and the monitoring device 1 is possible, the data communication is operated by the radio line, and when the communication by the radio line is impossible, the radio line is switched to the telephone line, and the data communication is operated.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle position monitoring system for transmitting and receiving data required for operation management between a vehicle being delivered and a monitoring center for managing the operation of the vehicle by wireless communication or a mobile phone. In particular, the present invention relates to a vehicle position monitoring system in which a positioning device such as a GPS (Global Positioning System) for detecting the position of the host vehicle is mounted on the vehicle side.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a driver or the like of a car during a delivery business determines the current position (hereinafter referred to as the "self-vehicle position") and the work state of the own vehicle from the delivery destinations and the middle of the delivery destination by telephone or mobile radio by voice. Reports are made almost regularly, and work data and the like are transferred almost regularly by mobile radio capable of data transfer.

[0003] However, in such a conventional example, a driver or the like who is traveling has to make a telephone call or the like to make an almost regular communication from the place where he / she is traveling. There is a problem that the time varies depending on the situation such as traffic congestion and the traveling area.

[0004] For this reason, on the monitoring center side,
Since the position of the moving vehicle cannot be known at all times, it is not easy to predict the return time of the vehicle or to arrange a delivery for an unplanned delivery work or the like, and the operating efficiency of the delivery vehicle is not necessarily high.

[0005] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 5-67113 proposes an automobile operation status management system capable of improving the operation efficiency of automobiles such as delivery vehicles and improving the efficiency of delivery operations.

[0006] This vehicle operation status management system receives a navigation radio wave including orbit data and time from a plurality of GPS satellites to determine the position of the vehicle, and a GPS receiver for positioning the vehicle.
A display device for displaying the own vehicle position obtained by the PS receiving device, an operation management recording device for recording operation data relating to the operation of the vehicle and the own vehicle position data, and transmitting the operation data and the own vehicle position data. The mobile radio is mounted on the vehicle, and the position of the vehicle and the operation data from the vehicle-mounted radio are received and the position of the vehicle is displayed on the display device. The monitoring center is provided with a radio for transmitting instructions and data required for work by the calculation means to the on-vehicle radio, and the vehicle is provided with the radio from the monitoring center radio received by the on-vehicle radio. Control means for displaying instructions and data on the in-vehicle display device.

[0007] A GPS receiver mounted on a vehicle receives navigation radio waves from a plurality of GPS satellites to determine the position of the vehicle, and the position of the vehicle is displayed on a display device mounted on the vehicle. The operation data of the automobile is recorded in an operation management recording device. The data related to the own vehicle position and the operation is transmitted by the on-board wireless device, received by the wireless device of the monitoring center, and the own vehicle position is displayed on the display device.

Further, the calculating means obtains an instruction and data necessary for the delivery work of the vehicle based on the own vehicle position and the vehicle operation data, and transmits the instruction and data from the wireless device on the monitoring center side. The instructions and data required for this delivery operation are received by the on-board radio, and displayed on the on-board display by the control means. Accordingly, the current position of the vehicle is displayed on the display device on the monitoring center side, so that the return time of the vehicle can be easily predicted, and the operating efficiency of the vehicle can be improved.

On the other hand, the display device mounted on the vehicle displays instructions and data necessary for the delivery operation such as guidance of the traveling route and traffic jams on the traveling road. The driver operates the vehicle with reference to the display. As a result, the operation efficiency of the vehicle can be improved, and the efficiency of the delivery operation can be improved, for example, it is possible to cope with an unscheduled extraordinary delivery operation.

[0010]

In the above-mentioned conventional vehicle operation status management system, delivery instructions and data transmission between the management office and the vehicle are performed by mobile radio communication. In addition, as a communication medium for such communication,
There are business radio, MCA (multi-channel-access) radio, mobile phone, and the like, but each is usually used alone. However, when the business radio or the MCA radio is used alone, there is a limit to the range of radio waves, so that only the position of the vehicle in a limited place is managed. In addition, when the mobile phone is used alone, there is a problem that the range of radio waves reach is relatively wide, but the running cost is high.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and has as its object to provide a business radio, an MCA radio, and the like in a place where radio communication can be used.
In a place where wireless communication such as MCA wireless is given priority and wireless communication cannot be used, a vehicle position monitoring system having a relatively large operable range and a relatively low running cost is provided by using a telephone line such as a mobile phone. To provide.

[0012]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle position monitoring system using a wireless line or a telephone line between a vehicle-mounted device mounted on a vehicle and a monitoring device installed at a monitoring center. A vehicle position monitoring system for performing data communication and monitoring the vehicle position on the monitoring center side, wherein a wireless communication between the on-vehicle device and the monitoring device is possible. Is configured to perform data communication and switch to a telephone line to perform data communication when communication via a wireless line is not possible.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle position monitoring system, the monitoring device communicates with the vehicle via wireless communication means, and the vehicle communicates with the vehicle via a telephone line. A modem for performing data communication, and a computer for converting data from the vehicle input from the communication means and the modem into position information of the vehicle, wherein the on-vehicle device is connected to communication means on the monitoring device side. Communication means for performing data communication via radio, and a mobile phone for performing data communication via a telephone line between the monitoring device side modem,
The vehicle-mounted device includes a communication unit and a computer that controls communication of the mobile phone, and a positioning device that obtains a position of the vehicle, and the computer of the vehicle-mounted device can perform communication by the communication unit. When it is determined that the communication by the communication unit is possible, the communication by the communication unit is performed, and when the communication by the communication unit is determined to be impossible, the communication is switched to the communication by the mobile phone. Is done.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle position monitoring system, the on-vehicle device-side computer detects an electric field strength of a signal received by the on-vehicle device-side communication means,
When the electric field strength is equal to or higher than a predetermined electric field strength, communication is performed by radio by the communication means, and when the electric field strength is equal to or lower than the predetermined electric field strength, communication is performed by the mobile phone via a telephone line.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle position monitoring system, the monitoring device communicates with the vehicle via wireless communication means, and the vehicle communicates with the vehicle via a telephone line. A modem for performing data communication, and a computer for converting data from the vehicle input from the communication means and the modem into position information of the vehicle, wherein the on-vehicle device is connected to communication means on the monitoring device side. Communication means for performing data communication via radio, and a mobile phone for performing data communication via a telephone line between the monitoring device side modem,
A computer for controlling communication between the on-vehicle device and the mobile phone, and a positioning device for acquiring the position of the vehicle, and data between the communication device on the monitoring device and the communication device on the on-vehicle device A transmission procedure is determined in advance, and the data is transmitted from the communication means on the on-vehicle device side to the communication means on the monitoring device side, and when the data is normally received by the communication means on the monitoring device side, the monitoring device A normal response is returned from the communication means on the side to the communication means on the on-vehicle device side, and in the on-vehicle device, after data is transmitted to the monitoring device, an incoming response is transmitted within a predetermined time from the communication on the monitoring device side. When it is not returned from the means, it is configured to communicate with the mobile phone.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle position monitoring system, the monitoring device communicates with the vehicle via wireless communication means, and communicates with the vehicle via a telephone line. A modem for performing data communication, and a computer for converting data from the vehicle input from the communication means and the modem into position information of the vehicle, wherein the on-vehicle device is connected to communication means on the monitoring device side. Communication means for performing data communication via radio, and a mobile phone for performing data communication via a telephone line between the monitoring device side modem,
A computer for controlling communication between the on-vehicle device and the mobile phone, and a positioning device for acquiring the position of the vehicle, and data between the communication device on the monitoring device and the communication device on the on-vehicle device The transmission procedure is determined in advance, and the data is transmitted from the communication means on the monitoring device side to the communication means on the on-vehicle device side. When the data is normally received by the communication means on the on-vehicle device side, the on-vehicle device A normal response is returned from the communication unit on the side to the communication unit on the side of the monitoring device, and in the monitoring device, after transmitting data to the on-board unit, an incoming response is transmitted within a predetermined time from the communication on the side of the on-board unit. When it is not returned from the means, it is configured to communicate between the modem on the monitoring device side and the mobile phone on the on-vehicle device side.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle position monitoring system, the monitoring device communicates with the vehicle via wireless communication means, and the vehicle communicates with the vehicle via a telephone line. A modem that performs data communication, and a computer that converts data from the vehicle input from the communication unit and the modem into position information of the vehicle, wherein the on-vehicle device communicates with the communication unit on the monitoring device side. Communication means for performing data communication via radio, and a mobile phone for performing data communication via a telephone line between the monitoring device side modem,
A communication device on the side of the vehicle-mounted device and a computer for controlling communication of the mobile phone, and a positioning device for acquiring a position of the vehicle, wherein the work area information that can be used by the communication unit on the side of the vehicle-mounted device is stored in advance as data. The communication means and the mobile phone are stored in a computer on the vehicle-mounted device side, and are stored in the computer on the vehicle-mounted device side based on the position of the own vehicle acquired from the positioning device on the vehicle-mounted device side and the engineering rear information. Is configured to be switched.

[0018]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle position monitoring system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation thereof.

As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle position monitoring system according to the first embodiment includes a monitoring device 1 installed at a monitoring center and an on-vehicle device 10 mounted on a monitored vehicle. Comprises a communication means 2 such as an MCA radio or a business radio, a computer 4 connected to a telephone line via a modem 3, and a monitor 5 such as a CRT.
The computer 4 includes a communication unit 2, a modem 3, and a monitor 5.
Are connected to enable two-way communication.

The on-vehicle device 10 includes a communication unit 11 capable of wirelessly communicating with the communication unit 2 on the monitoring device side, a mobile phone 12, a computer 13 having a modem 15, and a positioning device 14 such as a GPS for detecting a vehicle position. Vehicle dynamic information means 16 for inputting or detecting vehicle dynamic information such as a delivery completion switch, a switch indicating a state of vehicle stop, movement, etc.
And The computer 13 is connected to the mobile phone 12 via the modem 15 so as to be capable of two-way communication, and is also connected to the communication means 11, the positioning device 14 and the vehicle dynamics information means 16 so as to be able to perform two-way communication. 1
Vehicle position and vehicle dynamics information means 16 measured by
Thus, the vehicle dynamics information input or detected is input to the computer 13. Also, the communication level between the communication means 11 on the vehicle-mounted device side and the relay station or the other station, that is, the electric field strength of the signal received by the communication means 11 is input to the computer 13 and the computer 13 can perform communication based on the electric field strength. It is determined whether or not it is.

Information on the vehicle position and the position measurement time detected by the positioning device 14 on the vehicle-mounted device is sequentially input to the computer 13 at predetermined time intervals.
3 generates a signal indicating the vehicle position and the position measurement time at predetermined time intervals based on the information, and transmits the signal to the monitoring device by the communication means 11 or the mobile phone 12.

The computer 4 on the side of the on-vehicle device includes the communication unit 1
1 to determine whether communication by the communication means 11 is possible and select between the communication means 11 and the mobile phone 12. From an economic viewpoint such as communication cost, in an area where wireless communication by the communication means 11 is possible, The communication means 11 having a low communication cost is preferentially used, and the communication is switched to the communication by the mobile phone 12 in an area where the communication is impossible or the communication state is not good.

On the monitoring device side, the communication means 11 on the vehicle-mounted device side
And the signal transmitted from the mobile phone 12 is received by the communication means 2 or the modem 3 and input to the computer 4. The computer 4 calculates the vehicle position and the measurement time based on the position information and the position measurement time of the input signal. It is displayed on the monitor 5.
At this time, the computer 4 reads map information such as a delivery destination stored in a storage device such as a CD-ROM or a hard disk in advance, displays the map information on a monitor, and displays a vehicle position and a measurement time decoded from the signal on the map. To be displayed.

If necessary, the computer 4 of the monitoring device transmits instruction information, such as a delivery destination, to the vehicle-mounted device via a wireless line by the communication means 2 or a telephone line by the modem 3, and transmits this information. The data is received by the communication means 11 on the vehicle-mounted device side or the mobile phone 12 and input to the computer 13.

Next, with reference to FIG.
Will be described. First, the power supply of the on-vehicle device is turned on, the initialization of the computer 13 and the like is performed, and an event that requires communication to the monitoring device 1 by the computer 13 (for example, when information is transmitted at predetermined time intervals, When information is transmitted every time the vehicle travels a predetermined distance or when the vehicle reaches a predetermined distance, or when a driver or the like operates a switch indicating a specific event such as completion of delivery, stoppage of the vehicle, movement, or the like. , When automatically detected by a sensor or the like). Computer 13
Determines whether an event has occurred based on the information input from the vehicle dynamics information means 16.

If an event has not occurred, the process returns to the beginning and the determination of whether or not the event has occurred is repeated. When an event occurs, it is determined whether wireless communication by the communication unit 11 is possible. In this determination, it is confirmed whether or not the electric field strength of the signal from the relay station or the counter station received by the communication unit 11 exceeds a level at which the wireless communication by the communication unit 11 is possible.

If the communication level exceeds the communicable level, the computer 13 determines that communication by the communication means 11 is possible, and issues a data transmission request to the communication means 11. Communication means 1
If communication to the monitoring device 1 is not possible (the line is not connected to the monitoring device), a data transmission request is issued again. On the other hand, if communication is possible (the line is connected), the positioning device 14 Reads location information such as vehicle latitude and longitude,
Data such as position information is sent to the communication means 11. The communication unit 11 performs data transmission to the communication unit 2 on the monitoring device side, and communicates to the computer 13 whether or not the data transmission has ended normally. When the computer 13 determines that the data transmission has been performed normally, it checks for the occurrence of the next event, and thereafter repeats the same processing steps as described above.

On the other hand, when it is determined that the data transmission is abnormal, a data transmission request is issued again, and thereafter, the same processing as described above is repeated until the data transmission is normally performed.

If the computer 13 determines that communication by the communication means is impossible, it issues a data transmission request to the mobile phone 12 and, if the mobile phone 12 is not connected to the modem 3 of the monitoring device, Issue a data transmission request again.

On the other hand, when the mobile phone 12 is connected to the modem 3 on the monitoring device side, position information such as the longitude and latitude of the vehicle is read from the positioning device 14 and data such as position information is transmitted to the mobile phone 12. I do. The mobile phone 12 performs data transmission to the modem 3 on the monitoring device side, and communicates to the computer 13 whether or not the data transmission has been completed normally. When the computer 13 determines that the data transmission has been performed normally, it checks for the occurrence of the next event, and thereafter repeats the same processing as described above. On the other hand, when it is determined that the data transmission is abnormal, a data transmission request is issued to the mobile phone 12 again, and thereafter the same processing is repeated until the data transmission is normally performed.

Next, the operation of the monitoring apparatus 1 will be described. First, the power is turned on, the initial settings of the computer 4 and the like are performed, and the map information stored in advance is stored in a storage means such as a CD-ROM or a hard disk. Read and CRT
And the like, and displays the map information on the monitor 5, and waits for data communication from the vehicle-mounted device to the communication means 2 or the modem 3.

When data communication is received from the communication means 11 of the on-vehicle device 10 to the communication means 2 on the monitoring device side, the position and the event are recognized from the received data and the monitor 5
The position where the event occurred (vehicle position) and the event mark are superimposed on the map screen displayed above, and the next data reception is awaited.

When data communication from the mobile phone 12 of the vehicle-mounted device 10 to the modem 3 of the monitoring device 1 is received,
Similarly to the above, the position and the event are recognized from the received data, and the position (vehicle position) where the event occurred and the event mark are superimposed and displayed on the map screen displayed on the monitor 5, and the next data is displayed. Wait for reception.

Further, if necessary, instruction data such as a dispatch destination can be transmitted from the monitoring device side to the vehicle-mounted device via the communication means 2 and the communication means 11 or the modem 3 and the portable telephone 12.

Embodiment 2 3 to 6 show a vehicle position monitoring system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration, and FIGS. 4 to 6 are flowcharts showing the operation.

In the second embodiment, the first embodiment
Communication means 11 such as business radio or MCA radio
Instead of switching to the mobile phone 12 when the electric field strength is equal to or less than the predetermined electric field strength,
A procedure at the time of data transmission is preliminarily determined in wireless communication such as A-radio, and a reception confirmation signal (acknowledge) ACK is returned to a partner station when data is normally received. When a reception confirmation signal cannot be obtained, The transmission is considered to be impossible and the mobile telephone 12 is switched.

In particular, in the second embodiment, data is transmitted from the communication means 11 on the vehicle-mounted device side to the communication means on the monitoring device side, and when the data is normally received by the monitoring device 1, the data on the monitoring device side is transmitted. From the communication means 2 to the communication means 1 on the vehicle-mounted device side
When the incoming response is not returned from the communication means 2 on one side of the monitoring center within a certain time after the data is transmitted to the monitoring device 1 in the on-vehicle device 10, the communication is performed by the mobile phone 12. It is something to do.

The operation of the second embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. First, the in-vehicle device 10
Then, the power is turned on, initialization is performed, the presence / absence of an event is checked, and this check operation is repeated until an event occurs.

When an event occurs, as shown in FIG. 5, a data transmission request is issued to the communication means 11 on the on-vehicle device side, and the communication means 11 cannot communicate (the communication means 2 with the communication means 2 on the monitoring device side). If the connection is not possible, the data transmission request is repeated until communication becomes possible (until the line is connected). If communication is possible, the line confirmation data is sent to the communication means 11, and data transmission is performed from the communication means 11 on the vehicle-mounted device to the communication means 2 on the monitoring device, and a reception confirmation signal (ACK) is sent from the monitoring device. Wait to come back. Even if a predetermined time has passed since the transmission of the line confirmation data, the reception confirmation signal (AC
If K) does not return, it is determined that communication by the communication means 11 is not possible, and switching to data transmission by the mobile phone 12 is performed. That is, in this case, as in the case of the first embodiment, the same data communication processing by the mobile phone as the processing after the “data transmission request” in the case where the communication means communication is not possible in FIG. 2 is performed.

On the other hand, when the acknowledgment signal (ACK) is returned from the monitoring device within a predetermined time, the communication means 11
Is determined to be possible, and data is transmitted to the communication means 11. It is determined whether or not event data and the like are transmitted normally. If the transmission is abnormal, the data transmission is repeated. If normal transmission has been performed, the occurrence of the next event is checked, and thereafter, the same processing as described above is repeated.

On the other hand, in the monitoring apparatus 1, the power is turned on, initialization is performed, and map information is read out from a storage device (not shown) and displayed on the monitor 5. Next, as shown in FIG. 6, the communication unit 11 on the vehicle-mounted device waits for data transmission to be received by the communication unit 2 on the monitoring device side. When the data is received by the monitoring center, it is determined whether the received data is line confirmation data or event data. If the received data is line confirmation data, a reception confirmation (communication possible) signal ACK is sent to the communication means 2. Transmits an acknowledgment (communicable) signal ACK to the communication means 11 on the in-vehicle device side, and waits for the next data to be received.

If the received data is event data, the process returns to FIG. 4, and the same processes as those after “event confirmation” in FIG. 2 are performed as in the first embodiment.

Embodiment 3 FIG. 7 to 9 are flowcharts showing the operation of the vehicle position monitoring system according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. The hardware configuration of the vehicle position monitoring system according to the third embodiment is substantially the same as that of the second embodiment, and the operations of the computers (that is, programs executed by the computer) on the vehicle-mounted device side and the monitoring device side are different. .

In the second embodiment, data is transmitted from the communication means 11 on the vehicle-mounted device to the communication means 2 on the monitoring device side.
When data is normally received by the monitoring device 1,
Although a normal response is returned from the communication device 2 on the monitoring device side to the communication device 11 on the on-vehicle device, in the third embodiment, data is transmitted from the communication device 2 on the monitoring device side to the communication device 11 on the on-vehicle device side. And when the data is normally received by the on-vehicle device 10, a normal response is returned from the on-vehicle device side communication means 11 to the monitoring device side communication means 2,
In the monitoring device 1, when an incoming call response is not returned from the vehicle-mounted device within a predetermined time after data transmission to the vehicle-mounted device 10,
The mobile phone 12 is used for communication.

Next, the operation of the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 3 and FIGS.

First, in FIG. 3, the power of the monitoring device 1 is turned on, initialization is performed, and map information stored in a storage device (not shown) is read and displayed on a monitor.
Next, as shown in FIG. 8, a position information transmission request is input to the computer by a manual operation or automatically at predetermined time intervals by timer control, and a line confirmation data transmission request is issued to the communication means 2. If communication from the communication means 2 on the monitoring device side to the communication means 11 on the on-vehicle device is impossible (line is not connected), a line confirmation data transmission request is repeatedly issued until communication becomes possible (until the line is connected). When communication is possible, the line confirmation data is sent to the communication means 2, and the line confirmation data is transmitted from the communication means 2 of the monitoring device to the vehicle-mounted device. After this transmission, it waits for an acknowledgment signal (ACK) from the in-vehicle device 10 to return. If this signal is not returned within a predetermined time, it switches to the telephone line and sends the location information to the modem 3 of the monitoring device 1. A transmission request signal is transmitted, and the transmission request signal is transmitted from the modem 3 to the mobile telephone 12 on the vehicle-mounted device side via a relay station via a telephone line.

On the other hand, when the reception confirmation signal (ACK) from the onboard unit is received by the communication unit 2 of the monitoring device within a predetermined time, a position information transmission request signal is sent to the communication unit 2. Then, a position information transmission request signal is transmitted from the communication means 2 on the monitoring device side to the communication means 11 on the on-vehicle device via a wireless line.

Hereinafter, on the monitoring device side, the same processing as that after "data reception waiting" in FIG. 2 of the first embodiment is performed.

Next, the operation of the vehicle-mounted device will be described.
In FIG. 7, first, the power is turned on, initialization is performed, and it is checked whether or not data transmission from the monitoring device is received by the communication unit 11. If not, this check operation is repeated until there is reception.

In the case of reception, as shown in FIG.
It is determined whether the received data is a line confirmation or a data transmission request.
It is confirmed whether or not the communication line is communicable (the line is connected) or not (the line is not connected). If the communication of the communication means 11 is not possible, this check is repeated until the communication becomes possible. When communication is possible, a reception confirmation (communication possible) signal (AC
K) is transmitted to the communication means 11, and the communication means 1 on the vehicle-mounted device side is transmitted.
1 transmits a reception acknowledgment (communication means communicable) signal to the monitoring device side.

When the received data is a data transmission request, it is determined whether the data is received by the communication means 11 or the mobile phone 12.

When the data is received by the mobile phone 12, FIG.
Returning to FIG. 2, the same processing as that after “position information reading” on the mobile phone side in FIG. 2 of the first embodiment is performed, and when the communication information is received by the communication unit 11, the processing on the communication unit side in FIG. The same processing as after "position information reading" is performed.

Embodiment 4 10 to 12 show a vehicle position monitoring system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration, and FIGS. 11 and 12 are flowcharts showing the operation.

The hardware configuration of the fourth embodiment is as follows.
Except that the electric field strength of the wireless communication such as the business radio or the MCA radio is not detected, it is substantially the same as the first embodiment of FIG. 1 described above.
10 is different from the control operation.

In the fourth embodiment, based on area information of radio communication such as business radio or MCA radio set in advance as data, the position of the own vehicle acquired by a positioning device 14 such as a GPS for positioning the position of the own vehicle is determined. When the position information is compared and it is recognized that the own vehicle is outside the rear of the radio communication system such as the business radio or the MCA radio, the mobile telephone 12 is switched to the telephone line.

Next, the operation of the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 11, first, the power supply of the vehicle-mounted device 10 is turned on, initialization is performed, the presence or absence of an event occurrence is checked, and this check is repeated until an event occurs.

When an event occurs, as shown in FIG. 12, the communication means area information (information indicating the communicable area of the communication means) stored in advance in the storage device is read out and the communication means area information is read out. And the vehicle position information detected by the positioning device 14 is compared. If the vehicle position is within the communication area of the communication means 11, the communication by the communication means 11 is selected, and the same processing as the "data transmission request" after the "data transmission request" on the communication means communicable side in FIG. On the other hand, if it is out of the communication area, the communication by the mobile phone 12 is selected, and the same processing as after the "data transmission request" on the communication means communication disabled side in FIG. 2 is performed.

[0059]

According to the vehicle position monitoring system according to the first or second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to perform communication by a wireless line between an on-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle and a monitoring device installed at a monitoring center. In such a case, data communication is performed via a wireless line.
By switching to a telephone line and performing data communication, a vehicle position monitoring system having a relatively large operable range and low running costs can be realized.

According to the vehicle position monitoring system according to the third aspect of the present invention, the electric field strength of the wireless communication such as the business radio and the MCA radio is grasped, and when the electric field strength is equal to or lower than the predetermined electric field strength, the communication is switched to the telephone line communication. With this configuration, it is possible to easily and easily detect whether or not wireless communication is possible.

According to the vehicle position monitoring system according to the fourth or fifth aspect of the present invention, a procedure for data transmission is determined in advance in radio communication such as business radio or MCA radio, and data is normally received. When the reception confirmation signal is not available, the transmission is considered to be impossible and switched to telephone line communication. The determination can be made extremely accurately from the result, and therefore, it is possible to avoid as much as possible the erroneous use of a high-cost telephone line in spite of the fact that wireless communication is possible, thereby further reducing running costs. be able to.

According to the vehicle position monitoring system according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the business radio, M
Based on the communicable area information of wireless communication such as CA wireless, the information of the own vehicle position acquired by the positioning device is compared,
When it is recognized that the vehicle is outside the area where the wireless communication such as the business wireless communication and the MCA wireless communication can be performed, the communication is switched to the telephone line, so that it is determined whether the wireless communication is possible. There is no need to perform communication between the communication means, the determination can be made easily, and the control by the computer becomes simpler.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle position monitoring system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the vehicle position monitoring system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle position monitoring system according to Embodiments 2 and 3 of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a main routine representing an operation of the vehicle position monitoring system according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a subroutine 1 in the main routine of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a subroutine 2 in the main routine of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a main routine representing an operation of the vehicle position monitoring system according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a subroutine 3 in the main routine of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a subroutine 4 in the main routine of FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle position monitoring system according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a main routine representing an operation of the vehicle position monitoring system according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

12 is a flowchart showing a subroutine 5 in the main routine of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 monitoring center, 2 communication means, 3 modems, 4 computers, 5 monitors, 10 onboard equipment, 11 communication means, 12 mobile phones, 13 computers, 14 positioning devices, 15 modems, 16 vehicle dynamic information means.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Agency reference number FI Technical indication location G08G 1/13 G08G 1/13 H04B 7/26 H04M 11/00 301 H04M 11/00 301 H04B 7 / 26 J

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A monitoring center monitors a vehicle position by performing data communication between a vehicle-mounted device mounted on a vehicle and a monitoring device installed at a monitoring center using a wireless line or a telephone line. A vehicle position monitoring system,
When communication by a wireless line between the in-vehicle device and the monitoring device is possible, perform data communication by a wireless line,
A vehicle position monitoring system characterized by performing data communication by switching to a telephone line when communication via a wireless line is not possible. 2. The monitoring device, comprising: a communication unit for performing data communication with the vehicle via a wireless communication; a modem for performing data communication with the vehicle via a telephone line; A computer that converts data from the vehicle input from the modem into position information of the vehicle, wherein the on-vehicle device performs a data communication via wireless communication with a communication unit on the monitoring device side, and A mobile phone that performs data communication with a modem on the monitoring device side via a telephone line, a communication unit on the on-vehicle device side, and a computer that controls communication of the mobile phone; and a position of the vehicle. A positioning device, wherein the on-vehicle device-side computer determines whether communication by the communication means is possible, and when it is determined that communication by the communication means is possible, the computer by the communication means When communication is performed and communication by the communication means is determined to be impossible,
The vehicle position monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein communication is switched to communication by the mobile phone. 3. The on-vehicle device-side computer detects the electric field strength of a signal received by the on-vehicle device-side communication means, and when the electric field strength is equal to or higher than a predetermined electric field strength, the communication means communicates wirelessly. 3. The vehicle position monitoring system according to claim 2, wherein when the electric field intensity is equal to or lower than the predetermined electric field intensity, the mobile phone communicates via a telephone line. 4. The monitoring device, comprising: a communication unit that performs data communication with the vehicle via wireless communication; a modem that performs data communication with the vehicle via a telephone line; A computer that converts data from the vehicle input from the modem into position information of the vehicle, wherein the on-vehicle device performs a data communication via wireless communication with a communication unit on the monitoring device side, and A mobile phone that performs data communication with a modem on the monitoring device side via a telephone line, a communication unit on the on-vehicle device side, and a computer that controls communication of the mobile phone; and a position of the vehicle. A positioning device, and a data transmission procedure between the communication device on the monitoring device side and the communication device on the on-vehicle device side is determined in advance, and data is transmitted from the communication device on the on-vehicle device side to the communication device on the monitoring device side. And when the data is normally received by the communication means on the monitoring device side, a normal response is returned from the communication means on the monitoring device side to the communication means on the on-vehicle device side; The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein after transmitting the data to the monitoring device, if an incoming call response is not returned from the communication unit of the monitoring device within a predetermined time, the communication is performed by the mobile phone. Position monitoring system. 5. The monitoring device, comprising: a communication unit that performs data communication with the vehicle via a wireless communication; a modem that performs data communication with the vehicle via a telephone line; A computer that converts data from the vehicle input from the modem into position information of the vehicle, wherein the on-vehicle device performs a data communication via wireless communication with a communication unit on the monitoring device side, and A mobile phone that performs data communication with a modem on the monitoring device side via a telephone line, a communication unit on the on-vehicle device side, and a computer that controls communication of the mobile phone; and a position of the vehicle. A positioning device, and a data transmission procedure between the communication device on the monitoring device side and the communication device on the on-vehicle device side is determined in advance, and data is transmitted from the communication device on the monitoring device side to the communication device on the on-vehicle device side. Transmitting a normal response from the communication means on the vehicle-mounted device side to the communication means on the monitoring device side when the data is normally received by the communication means on the on-vehicle device side; In the above, when an incoming response is not returned from the communication means on the vehicle-mounted device side within a predetermined time after transmitting data to the vehicle-mounted device, a communication between the modem on the monitoring device side and the mobile phone on the vehicle-mounted device side is performed. The vehicle position monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein communication is performed. 6. The monitoring device, comprising: a communication unit configured to perform data communication with the vehicle via a wireless communication; a modem configured to perform data communication with the vehicle via a telephone line; A computer that converts data from the vehicle input from the modem into position information of the vehicle, wherein the on-vehicle device performs a data communication via wireless communication with a communication unit on the monitoring device side, and A mobile phone that performs data communication with a modem on the monitoring device side via a telephone line, a communication unit on the on-vehicle device side, and a computer that controls communication of the mobile phone; and a position of the vehicle. A positioning device, wherein the rear-end information that can be used by the communication means of the vehicle-mounted device is stored in advance in the computer of the vehicle-mounted device as data, and the location information acquired from the positioning device of the vehicle-mounted device is stored in advance. 2. The vehicle position monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the communication device and the mobile phone are switched by a computer on the vehicle-mounted device side based on a vehicle position and the work rear information.