Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication
Reexamination Certificate
2002-05-09
2004-05-04
Cuchlinski, Jr., William A. (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
C701S001000, C701S213000, C701S207000, C340S991000, C340S436000, C342S457000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06732020
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates an accident notification system for a vehicle where, when a vehicle causes an accident, such an accident can automatically be notified to a related organ.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in an express highway or the like, such a system is employed that, when an automobile causes an accident, an occupant of the automobile can notify the accident to a road administrator or the like by a phone provided along the road for each predetermined interval.
Also, in recent years, mobile or portable telephones have been widespread, and when an accident has happened, a vehicle occupant can notify the accident to a police station, an emergency station or another related organ to prompt cleaning the accident.
However, when such a situation occurs that a vehicle has caused an accident alone on a mountain road and a vehicle occupant(s) has been physically damaged to the extent that he/she (they) can not move, there is a risk that a situation that he/she (they) can not use even a portable phone occurs and the accident is left as it is.
Also, when a vehicle has fallen in the sea, there often occurs a case that it is difficult for an occupant to escape from the vehicle by his/her own force. In the case, a risk that the accident is left as it is becomes above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an accident notification system for a vehicle, capable of notification of position information on an accident when the accident that an occupant is damaged has happened.
A first aspect of the present invention is an accident notification system for a vehicle comprising: damage predicting means which predicts that a vehicle occupant has been damaged by an accident of a vehicle; vehicle position detecting means which detects the position of the vehicle; and a mobile communication terminal which receives a signal indicating that the damage predicting means has predicted the damage of the vehicle occupant to generate a calling to a call center. The call center performs a notification to a related organ on the basis of the calling and the related organ obtains prediction information that the vehicle occupant has been damaged from the damage predicting means and vehicle position information which has been detected by the vehicle position detecting means.
According to the first aspect of the invention, it can be predicted by the damage predicting means that a vehicle occupant has been damaged by an accident of a vehicle. The position of the vehicle can be detected by the vehicle position detecting means. The mobile communication terminal receives a signal indicating that the damage predicting means has predicted the damage of the vehicle occupant so that it can generate a calling to a call center from the vehicle side. The call center performs a notification to a related organ on the basis of the calling, and the related organ can obtain prediction information that the vehicle occupant has been damaged from the damage predicting means and vehicle position information which has been detected by the vehicle position detecting means.
Accordingly, a staff member of the related organ can reach the accident vehicle where the vehicle occupant has been damaged urgently. Emergent cleaning-up after accident and treatment for the damaged vehicle occupant can be performed accurately even in a situation that the vehicle occupant has been damaged to the extent that he/she can not move.
A second aspect of the invention is an accident notification system for a vehicle according to the first aspect, wherein the call center is provided with a user database where personal information has been registered in advance and a map database where map information has been stored. Registered personal information and position of the vehicle are retrieved from the user database and the map database on the basis of the calling from the mobile communication terminal. Prediction information that the retrieved person has been damaged, the personal information about the retrieved person and the vehicle position information about the retrieved position of the vehicle notified to the related organ.
According to the second aspect of the invention, in addition to the effect obtained by the first aspect, the call center is provided with a user database where personal information has been registered in advance and a map database where map information has been stored. Therefore, the registered personal information and position of the vehicle can be retrieved from the user database and the map database on the basis of the calling from the mobile communication terminal. The prediction information indicating that the retrieved vehicle occupant has been damaged and the vehicle position information about the retrieved position of the vehicle can be notified to the related organ.
Accordingly, the related organ can identify the person who has caused the accident and the place of the accident immediately, and emergent clearing-up after accident and treatment for the vehicle occupant can be performed precisely. Also, accident information can be notified to a related person(s) such as a family or the like immediately.
A third aspect of the invention is an accident notification system for a vehicle according to the first or second aspect, wherein the damage predicting means is provided with an acceleration sensor which detects an acceleration due to a collision of the vehicle. The damage predicting means predicts that the vehicle occupant has been damaged when the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor exceeds a reference acceleration.
According to the third aspect, in addition to the effect achieved in the first or second aspect, the damage predicting means is provided with the acceleration sensor which detects an acceleration due to a collision of the vehicle. The damage predicting means can predict that the vehicle occupant has been damaged when the acceleration exceeds the reference acceleration. Therefore, the fact that the vehicle occupant has been damaged can accurately be predicted so that a staff member(s) of the related organ can be performed an accurate cleaning-up after accident urgently.
A fourth aspect of the invention is an accident notification system for a vehicle according to the first or second aspect, wherein the vehicle is provided with an extendable antenna which allows a calling of the mobile communication terminal. A distal end portion of the antenna is attached to a float which is releasably supported to the vehicle. The float comes up to the surface of the water when the vehicle has sunk in the water so that the distal end of the antenna is exposed on the water surface.
According to the fourth aspect of the invention, in addition to the effect achieved by the first or second aspect, the extendable antenna which allows a calling of the mobile communication terminal is provided to the vehicle, the distal end of the antenna attached to the float. Therefore, when the vehicle has sunk in the water, the distal end of the antenna comes up to the surface of the water so that the distal end of the antenna can be exposed on the surface of the water.
Accordingly, even in a case that a vehicle has fallen in the sea to sink therein and a vehicle occupant(s) has been confined in the compartment of the vehicle, a calling can be generated by the mobile communication terminal so that an emergent cleaning-up for accident can be performed accurately.
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Cuchlinski Jr. William A.
Gibson Eric M
Jordan and Hamburg LLP
Unirec Co., Ltd.
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