Claims
- 1. An emergency vehicular communication device adapted to be installed in a vehicle, said device comprising:
- a plurality of request switches respectively designating a plurality of services which a user may request, at least two of said switches being manually operable either sequentially or simultaneously at the option of said user;
- request signal generating means for checking and storing operational conditions of all of said request switches even when operated simultaneously, and for generating at least one request signal, said at least one request signal being indicative of a plurality of requested services, based on said operational conditions of switches which have been operated within a predetermined actuation time period of one another, a plurality of different types of request signals being generable based on types of services needed by said user as reflected by operation of said request switches, said operational conditions of said request switches being provided to said request signal generating means simultaneously when said request switches are operated simultaneously;
- transmitting means for transmitting said at least one request signal to a remote facility to alert each requested service in said plurality of services;
- receiving means for receiving from said facility an acknowledgement signal acknowledging receipt of said at least one request signal;
- an indicating device constructed and disposed to inform said user that said at least one request signal has been received by said facility.
- 2. A vehicular communication device according to claim 1, wherein said request signal generating means includes means for repeatedly checking said operational conditions for a predetermined period.
- 3. A vehicular communication device according to claim 2, wherein said predetermined period is a period during which said user operates any one of said request switches.
- 4. A vehicular communication device according to claim 1, wherein said acknowledgment signal includes information indicating which of said services has been requested, and wherein said indicating device comprises display means for displaying a message to confirm to said user that the facility received the request.
- 5. A vehicular communication device according to claim 1, wherein said request signal generating means checks said operational conditions in accordance with a predetermined order of priority.
- 6. A vehicular communication device according to claim 1, further comprising a timer for determining a predetermined period of time after one of said request switches is operated, wherein said at least one request signal generating means generates said request signal only after said user has not cancelled an inadvertent operation of said request switches within said predetermined period.
- 7. A vehicular communication device according to claim 6, further comprising cancel means for cancelling inadvertent operation of said request switches when one of said request switches is re-operated.
- 8. A vehicular communication device according to claim 6, wherein said request signal generating means includes a first memory means for memorizing information corresponding to an operated request switch and a second memory means for memorizing other information showing that said at least one request signal is ready to be transmitted, wherein said request signal generating means generates said at least one request signal only when said information memorized in said second memory means has not been corrected within said predetermined period.
- 9. A vehicular communication device according to claim 8, wherein said indicating device comprises display means and informing means for informing said user that said request switch has been operated.
- 10. A vehicular communication device according to claim 9, wherein said informing means causes different information to be displayed during said predetermined period than after said predetermined period so that said user can visually recognize when said predetermined period has expired.
- 11. A vehicular communication device according to claim 8, wherein said first memory means memorizes said information only when said request switch has been operating for a period of time longer than said predetermined period.
- 12. A vehicular communication device according to claim 1, further including a vehicle sunvisor containing at least said request switches and said indicating device.
- 13. A vehicular communication device according to claim 12, wherein said sunvisor has a cover for covering said request switches and said indicating device; and
- at least said request switches, said request signal generating means and said indicating device being turned on upon opening of said cover.
- 14. A vehicular communication device according to claim 6, wherein said predetermined period of time is a period of time during which a user may correct an incorrect request switch operation.
- 15. A vehicular communication device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one request signal is received by at least three different relay antennas in communication with said facility.
- 16. A vehicular communication device according to claim 15, wherein said remote facility includes position determining means for determining a position of said vehicle based on reception times of said different relay antennas.
- 17. An emergency vehicular communication device adapted to be installed in a vehicle, said device comprising:
- a plurality of manually operable request switches for inputting a request for at least one emergency service which a user needs, said plurality of request switches being adapted to operate simultaneously;
- means for determining when said request switches have been operated for a predetermined period of time;
- item request signal generating means for checking an operational condition of each of said request switches when operated within a predetermined actuation time period of one another, and for generating at least one request signal when said request switches have been operated if said user has not cancelled an inadvertent operation of said request switches within said predetermined period of time, said at least one request signal alerting said at least one emergency service corresponding to said operated request switches; and
- transmitting means for transmitting said at least one request signal to a remote facility.
- 18. A vehicular communication device according to claim 17, further comprising cancel means for cancelling said inadvertent operation of said request switch when said request switch is re-operated.
- 19. A vehicular communication device according to claim 17, wherein said request signal generating means includes a first memory means for memorizing information corresponding to said request switch having been operated and a second memory means for memorizing other information showing that said at least one request signal is ready to be transmitted, wherein said request signal generating means generates said at least one request signal only when said information memorized in said second memory means has not been corrected within said predetermined period.
- 20. A vehicular communication device according to claim 19, including informing means for informing said user that said request switch has been operated.
- 21. A vehicular communication device according to claim 20, wherein said informing means advises said user that said predetermined period has expired.
- 22. A vehicular communication device according to claim 19, wherein said first memory means memorizes said information only when said request switch has been operating for a period of time longer than a predetermined period.
- 23. A method of communicating a plurality of service requests from a vehicle to a remote facility, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) manually operating one or more request switches installed in said vehicle sequentially or simultaneously at an option of a user, said request switches respectively designating a plurality of services that can be requested by a user;
- (b) checking operational conditions of all of said request switches;
- (c) generating at least one request signal, indicative of a plurality of requested services, as a function of the operating condition of said switches which have been operated within a predetermined actuation time period of one another, a plurality of different types of request signals being generable based on types of services needed by said user as reflected by operation of said request switches, said operational conditions of said request switches being used in said generating step simultaneously when said request switches are operated simultaneously;
- (d) transmitting said at least one request signal to said remote facility and thereby alerting at least one emergency service corresponding to said operated request switches;
- (e) receiving from said facility an acknowledgement signal acknowledging the facility's receipt of said at least one request signal; and
- (f) providing an indication responsive to said acknowledgement signal for assuring the user that said at least one request signal has been received by said facility.
- 24. A method of communicating a plurality of service requests according to claim 23, wherein said step (b) comprises the step of repeatedly checking said operational conditions of said switches for a predetermined period.
- 25. A method of communicating a plurality of service requests according to claim 23, wherein said step (b) comprises the step of repeatedly checking said operational conditions for a predetermined actuation period during which said user operates any one of said request switches.
- 26. A method of communicating a plurality of service requests according to claim 23, wherein said step (e) comprises the step of receiving information indicating which of said services has been requested, and said step (f) comprises the step of displaying a message to confirm to said user that the service facility received the request.
- 27. A method of communicating a plurality of service requests according to claim 23, wherein said step (b) comprises the step of checking said operational conditions in accordance with a predetermined order of priority.
- 28. A method of communicating a service request from a vehicle to a remote facility, said method comprising the steps of:
- manually operating at least one of a plurality of request switches installed in a vehicle to input said service request;
- checking an operational characteristic of each of said request switches sequentially and storing data indicative of operated switches;
- generating at least one request signal in response to said stored data during a predetermined actuation time period if said user has not cancelled an inadvertent operation of said request switches within a predetermined period after said request switches have been operated; and
- transmitting said at least one request signal to said remote facility and thereby alerting at least one emergency service corresponding to said stored data indicative of operated switches.
- 29. A method of communicating a service request according to claim 28, further comprising a step of cancelling said inadvertent operation by re-operating said request switches.
- 30. A method of communicating a service request according to claim 28, further comprising a step of informing said user that said request switches have been operated.
- 31. A method of communicating a service request according to claim 30, wherein said informing step includes the step of advising said user that said predetermined period has expired.
- 32. The method of claim 31, wherein said transmitting step includes the step of transmitting service requests in said request signal in a predetermined order of priority of services corresponding to said operated switches.
- 33. The method of claim 31, further comprising the step of informing a user when at least one of said request switches is operated.
- 34. The method of claim 33, wherein said informing step includes the steps of:
- providing, during said predetermined time period, a first indication that a request may be cancelled, and
- providing, after said predetermined time period, a second indication that a request may not be cancelled.
- 35. The method of claim 31, further comprising the steps of:
- receiving an acknowledgement signal indicating the services that have been requested; and
- indicating to a user that said acknowledgement signal has been received.
- 36. A method of communicating a service request to a remote service facility from a vehicle having a plurality of manually-operated request switches, said method comprising the steps of:
- checking operation states of all of said request switches sequentially;
- storing in a memory indicia indicative of each of those of said request switches which are operated during said checking step;
- generating a request signal corresponding to said indicia; and
- transmitting said request signal to said remote service facility so that all services corresponding to said switches operated during said checking step may be requested substantially simultaneously irrespective of sequential or simultaneous operation of said request switches during said checking step.
- 37. The method of claim 36, wherein said storing step comprises a step of deleting an indicia when a switch corresponding to said indicia is again operated for cancellation of a prior operation of said corresponding switch during a predetermined period of time.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/053,134, filed on Apr. 29, 1993, which was abandoned upon the filing hereof.
US Referenced Citations (10)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
64-57599 |
Apr 1989 |
JPX |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
Journal of Nippodenso Technical Disclosure, p. 139 disclosure #56-139, dated Nov. 15, 1987. |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
53134 |
Apr 1993 |
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