Communication assistance apparatus and communication system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016014206-A1
Application number	US-201414772745-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 4, 2014
Priority date	Mar 4, 2013
Publication date	Jan 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A communication assistance apparatus assists the communication between a mobile terminal and an in-vehicle apparatus connected to various units of a vehicle, and includes a proximity wireless interface and a retaining portion. The proximity wireless interface is connected to the in-vehicle apparatus in order to receive, by proximity high-speed wireless communication, data from the mobile terminal and transmit, by proximity high-speed wireless communication, data from the in-vehicle apparatus to the mobile terminal. The retaining portion is disposed in a vehicle compartment of the vehicle to retain the mobile terminal so as to establish proximity high-speed wireless communication between the proximity wireless interface and the mobile terminal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A communication assistance apparatus that assists communication between a mobile terminal and an in-vehicle controller connected to various units including an in-vehicle camera of a vehicle, the communication assistance apparatus comprising:
a communication portion connected to the in-vehicle controller to
receive, from the mobile terminal by proximity high-speed wireless communication, data and
transmit, to the mobile terminal by proximity high-speed wireless communication, data from the in-vehicle controller; and
a retaining portion that is disposed in a vehicle compartment of the vehicle to retain the mobile terminal to establish proximity high-speed wireless communication between the communication portion and the mobile terminal, wherein: the data from the in-vehicle controller includes a captured image captured by the in-vehicle camera; the communication portion transmits, by proximity high-speed wireless communication, the captured image to the mobile terminal retained in the retaining portion; and the captured image transmitted to the mobile terminal is displayed in a screen of the mobile terminal retained in the retaining portion.

2 . The communication assistance apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a wireless power feed portion that is capable of wirelessly supplying electrical power to the mobile terminal retained by the retaining portion.

3 . The communication assistance apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein: the retaining portion is a recessed portion disposed at least either an instrument panel or a dashboard of the vehicle; and the communication portion is disposed adjacent to the recessed portion.

4 . The communication assistance apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein: the retaining portion includes
an adapter that is shaped to match a shape of the mobile terminal, and
a recessed portion that is disposed on at least one of an instrument panel and a dashboard of the vehicle to retain the adapter; and
the communication portion is disposed adjacent to the recessed portion.

5 . The communication assistance apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein: the retaining portion is a recessed portion disposed on a rear surface of at least either a driver seat or a front passenger seat of the vehicle; and the communication portion is disposed adjacent to the recessed portion.

6 . The communication assistance apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein: the retaining portion includes
an adapter that is shaped to match a shape of the mobile terminal, and
a recessed portion that is disposed on a rear surface of a seat that is at least either a driver seat and a front passenger seat of the vehicle to retain the adapter; and
the communication portion is disposed adjacent to the recessed portion.

7 . The communication assistance apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein: the adapter includes a mobile terminal communication portion that is connected to the mobile terminal,
receives, by proximity high-speed wireless communication, data transmitted from the communication portion, and
transmits, by proximity high-speed wireless communication, data received from the mobile terminal to the communication portion.

8 . The communication assistance apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a wireless power feed portion that is disposed in the vehicle compartment and capable of wirelessly supplying electrical power; wherein the adapter includes a wireless power receiving portion that is connected to the mobile terminal to receive electrical power supplied from the wireless power feed portion.

9 . The communication assistance apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein: the recessed portion has a rectangular cross section; the communication portion is disposed at a center of at least one side of a bottom surface of the recessed portion; the adapter is shaped of a rectangular plate; and the mobile terminal communication portion is disposed at a center of at least one side of the adapter.

10 . The communication assistance apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein: the adapter is removable from the recessed portion; and the recessed portion from which the adapter is removed is able to be attached with a dedicated in-vehicle display.

11 . The communication assistance apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein: the adapter is removable from the recessed portion; and the recessed portion from which the adapter is removed is able to be attached with a decorative panel.

12 . The communication assistance apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein: if a connection between the mobile terminal and the in-vehicle controller is not established by proximity high-speed wireless communication when the mobile terminal is retained by the retaining portion, that the connection is not established is notified with a notification apparatus.

13 . The communication assistance apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein: when a connection to the in-vehicle controller is established by proximity high-speed wireless communication, that the connection is established is notified with a notification portion.

14 . A communication system comprising:
the communication assistance apparatus according to claim 1 ; and the in-vehicle controller.

15 . The communication system according to claim 14 ,
wherein: the in-vehicle controller determines whether an application launched by the mobile terminal is authorized in a predefined manner; if the application is authorized in the predefined manner, the in-vehicle controller permits the mobile terminal to manipulate the various units; and if the application is not authorized in the predefined manner, the in-vehicle controller prohibits the mobile terminal from manipulating the various units.

16 . The communication system according to claim 14 , further comprising:
a storage portion, wherein the in-vehicle controller causes the storage portion to record a total distance traveled by the vehicle.

17 . The communication system according to claim 14 ,
wherein the in-vehicle controller
transmits information that is at least either a total distance traveled by the vehicle or maintenance information to the mobile terminal through the communication assistance apparatus,
displays the transmitted information on the screen of the mobile terminal, and
uses the mobile terminal as a meter of the vehicle.

18 . The communication system according to claim 14 ,
wherein the in-vehicle controller
transmits settings in using an air conditioner of the vehicle to the mobile terminal through the communication assistance apparatus,
displays the transmitted settings on the screen of the mobile terminal, and
uses the mobile terminal as a control panel of the air conditioner.

19 . The communication system according to claim 18 ,
wherein the in-vehicle controller receives input information, which is input to the mobile terminal, through the communication assistance apparatus, and controls the air conditioner based on the received input information.

20 . The communication system according to claim 14 ,
wherein the in-vehicle controller transmits illumination information about lights of the vehicle to the mobile terminal through the communication assistance apparatus and changes a brightness of the screen of the mobile terminal.

21 . The communication system according to claim 14 ,
wherein the in-vehicle controller transmi

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Isobe Norihiro

Classifications

• H04W4/48

  for in-vehicle communication · CPC title

• B60R2011/0045

  with visible part, e.g. flush mounted · CPC title

• B60R11/02

  for radio sets, television sets, telephones, or the like; Arrangement of controls thereof · CPC title

• H04L67/12 Primary

  specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks · CPC title

• H04M1/6075

  adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle (H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241) · CPC title