Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication – Vehicle diagnosis or maintenance indication
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-14
2001-04-03
Cuchlinski, Jr., William A. (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
Vehicle diagnosis or maintenance indication
C340S425500, C320S109000, C320S106000, C320S128000, C307S010700
Reexamination Certificate
active
06212450
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a data carrier system which carries out communication of operational data between a vehicle-side control device and a receiving device.
BACKGROUND ART
FIG. 27
shows a conventional structure of the above-described data carrier system. A vehicle
1
is equipped with a vehicle-side control device
2
. When an IC card
3
is inserted in a holder of the vehicle
1
to allow start-up of an engine, the vehicle-side control device
2
transmits operational data (the date and time of start-up of the engine, and the like) of the vehicle
1
to the IC card
3
and the operational data is stored in the IC card
3
. Further, a reading device
4
is installed in an office. When a personal computer
5
is operated with the IC card
3
being inserted in the reading device
4
, the reading device
4
reads the operational data from the IC card
3
and transmits the same to the personal computer
5
. As a result, the personal computer
5
displays the operational data on an image surface thereof or stores the same in a floppy disk.
In the above-described structure, when a storage capacity of the IC card
3
becomes full, the operational data cannot be recorded in the IC card
3
. For this reason, when the personal computer
5
is operated, an initialization command is transmitted to the IC card
3
via the reading device
4
and the IC card
3
is provided to clear the operational data. However, initialization with the IC card
3
being carried in an office or the like may be a difficult operation depending on the existing state of things, or management of initialization wherein the IC card
3
is carried into an office or the like may be difficult. Accordingly, there is a possibility that the operational data may not be surely recorded.
The present invention has been devised in view of the above-described circumstances and an object thereof is to provide a data carrier system which can reliably record operational data.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
A data carrier system described in claim
1
is characterized by comprising: a vehicle-side control device installed in a vehicle and transmitting operational data of the vehicle; and a receiving device for receiving operational data transmitted from the vehicle-side control device, wherein the receiving device includes a storage portion which stores received operational data, and said vehicle-side control device includes: a storage capacity detecting portion for detecting the storage capacity of said storage portion and an initialization detecting portion for detecting that said storage portion is initialized, and when the storage capacity of said storage portion is in a full state, the vehicle-side control device writes operational data in a storage portion of its own, and when said storage portion is initialized, the vehicle-side control device writes the operational data stored in the storage portion of its own in the storage portion of said receiving device.
According to the above-described means, when the storage capacity of the receiving device becomes full, the vehicle-side control device writes operational data in a storage portion of its own, and when the receiving device is initialized, the vehicle-side control device writes the stored operational data in the receiving device. For this reason, even when the storage capacity of the receiving device becomes full, the operational data is stored. Accordingly, even in the situation in which it is difficult to perform initialization of the receiving device carried into an office or the like, the operational data is reliably recorded.
A data carrier system described in claim
2
is characterized in that the vehicle-side control device includes a notifying portion which indicates that operational data is written in the storage portion of the vehicle-side control device.
According to the above-described means, the state in which operational data is written in the vehicle-side control device is notified. For this reason, the state in which the storage capacity of the receiving device is in a full state is indirectly notified, and therefore, a driver is required to perform initialization of the receiving device.
A data carrier system described in claim
3
is characterized in that the vehicle-side control device includes a notifying portion which indicates that the operational data stored in the storage portion of its own is being written in the storage portion of the receiving device.
According to the above-described means, the state in which the operational data stored in the vehicle-side control device is written in the receiving device is notified. For this reason, there is prevented such a situation that the communication between the vehicle-side control device and the receiving device is interrupted during writing of operational data and the writing of operational data is thereby impeded.
A data carrier system described in claim
4
is characterized by comprising: a vehicle-side control device installed in a vehicle and transmitting operational data of the vehicle; and a receiving device for receiving operational data transmitted from the vehicle-side control device, wherein the receiving device includes a storage portion which stores received operational data, and said vehicle-side control device includes: a remaining storage capacity detecting portion which detects the remaining storage capacity of said storage portion; and a notifying portion which indicates a result of detection of the remaining storage capacity.
According to the above-described means, the vehicle-side control device detects the remaining storage capacity of the receiving device and indicates the detection result. For this reason, it is possible for a driver to easily perform management in which the receiving device is initialized in a state of being carried into an office or the like, and therefore, the operational data is reliably recorded.
A data carrier system described in claim
5
is characterized in that when the result of detection of the remaining storage capacity is lower than a predetermined value, the vehicle-side control device indicates the result of detection. According to the above-described means, when the remaining storage capacity of the receiving device is lower than the predetermined value, the result of detection of the remaining storage capacity is notified. For this reason, there is prevented such a situation that the driver receives useless information in that the remaining storage capacity is large, so as to induce inadvertent attention.
A data carrier system described in claim
6
is characterized in that the notifying portion is comprised of a light source whose lighted state changes in accordance with the remaining storage capacity.
According to the above-described means, a lighted state of the light source changes in accordance with the remaining storage capacity of the receiving device, and therefore, the remaining storage capacity can be notified relatively roughly.
A data carrier system described in claim
7
is characterized in that the notifying portion is comprised of a display portion which displays the remaining storage capacity in a numeric or graphic display.
According to the above-described means, the remaining storage capacity of the receiving device is displayed in a numeric or a graphic manner, and therefore, the remaining storage capacity can be notified relatively exactly.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5739674 (1998-04-01), Kawahara et al.
patent: 62-97197 (1987-05-01), None
patent: 2-126255 (1990-10-01), None
patent: 3-8095 (1991-01-01), None
Aoki Hisashi
Koga Shinichi
Kokubu Sadao
Mizuno Takashi
Beaulieu Yonel
Cuchlinski Jr. William A.
Deveau Todd
Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
Schneider Ryan A.
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