JP2002352389A - Vehicle security monitoring system - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Problem] To enable the construction and operation of a vehicle security monitoring system at low cost. A vehicle to be monitored has a sensor box (40).
An in-vehicle device 38 including a GPS terminal 42, a packet communication terminal 46, and the like is mounted. When the sensor box 40 determines that the output from the sensor connected to the sensor box 40 indicates an abnormality in the vehicle or its load, the sensor type and the positioning result obtained by the GPS terminal 42 are displayed. Information such as the output value is transmitted from the packet communication terminal 46 to the packet network via a wireless connection. An operation monitoring center is connected to the packet network 10, and the operation monitoring center receives a packet transmitted from the vehicle and knows a sign of an abnormality in the vehicle or its load.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle security monitoring system for collecting information on vehicle operation or business at an operation monitoring center.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Wireless systems for collecting information related to vehicle operation or sales at specific facilities (hereinafter referred to as "operation monitoring centers") installed in business offices and the like have been used in various forms. Built and operated. For example, some dispatch systems such as taxis include GPS (glob)
al Positioning System) There is a type in which a positioning device such as a terminal is mounted, and data indicating a positioning result is wirelessly transmitted from a vehicle in response to a vehicle occupant's action (for example, button operation) or polling from an operation monitoring center. Also,
As for vehicles that transport fresh foods and the like, there is a system that measures the temperature of a refrigerator or a freezer mounted on a vehicle with a thermometer attached thereto, and wirelessly transmits data indicating the measurement result from the vehicle.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A wireless system for monitoring the operation or business situation of a vehicle is required to have a low cost for construction and operation. For example, it is desirable to avoid situations where a large-scale infrastructure must be newly prepared, a communication license must be acquired prior to system operation, and line usage fees are high and running costs are high. Therefore, in recent years, there has been a search for a way to construct and operate a wireless system for vehicle monitoring using public communication lines (networks) and services that can be used without a communication license.

[0004] One of the objects of the present invention is to monitor the operation or business status of a vehicle using a wireless packet communication service, for example, a mobile data communication service based on a packet communication system provided using a mobile phone system. And constructing and operating a wireless system for the communication. One of the objects of the present invention is to suppress communication traffic as much as possible and reduce the usage fee when implementing such a wireless system. One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a wireless system that allows a user of the wireless system, for example, a vehicle monitoring department or an in-vehicle equipment maintenance department of various delivery companies to customize the system relatively easily according to their own needs. Is to make it happen.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, the operation status of a vehicle is monitored by an operation monitoring center using a packet network to which a wireless base station is connected. A vehicle security monitoring system is built and operated. More specifically, first, an on-vehicle device is mounted on a vehicle to be monitored, and an operation monitoring center is connected to the packet network so that packets destined for the vehicle are always received from the packet network. The on-vehicle device includes a transmission event detecting means for detecting that a predetermined transmission event indicating the deterioration of the state of the mounted vehicle has occurred on the vehicle,
A device equipped with a positioning device that detects the current position and time of the mounted vehicle using S or the like, and a packet communication terminal that automatically wirelessly transmits a packet to a base station in response to a transmission event, is mounted on the vehicle. deep. Further, the packet transmitted from the vehicle to the operation monitoring center indicates at least information for identifying the operation monitoring center of the receiving destination, information for identifying the transmission source vehicle, and the type of the transmission event that has occurred. Information and information indicating the current position and time of the transmission source vehicle when the transmission event occurs are included.

Thus, in the present invention, a vehicle security monitoring system is constructed and operated by packet communication. That is, when the state of the vehicle deteriorates and the transmission event generation means detects that the transmission event has occurred, the packet addressed to the operation monitoring center is wirelessly transmitted by the on-board packet communication terminal. This packet is received by the base station and reaches the operation monitoring center via the packet network. The packet includes information on the type of the transmission event and information on the current position and time of the vehicle, in addition to the information indicating the destination and the transmission source. Therefore, the operation monitoring center side can accurately grasp when, where, and what kind of condition deterioration occurred in which vehicle.

The packet transmission from the vehicle is executed in response to a transmission event occurring on the vehicle in accordance with the deterioration of the condition of the vehicle. That is, the present invention can be implemented without polling from the operation monitoring center side, and without packet transmission from the vehicle side when the vehicle state is not particularly deteriorated. Therefore, according to the present invention, the amount of packet transmission via a packet network can be suppressed to a necessary minimum, and effects such as reduction and mitigation of communication traffic and suppression of packet network usage charges can be obtained.

[0008] Packet transmission from the vehicle is executed when a transmission event indicating deterioration of the condition of the vehicle occurs on the vehicle and is detected. The worse the status of the sending event is
For example, detection can be performed by providing a state detection unit that automatically detects the state of the vehicle on which the vehicle is mounted or its load, and executing a determination / determination process on the detection result of the state detection unit in the transmission event detection unit.

That is, the transmission event detecting means determines that a transmission event has occurred when an indication of an abnormality is recognized in the vehicle on which the vehicle is mounted or the load on the vehicle based on the detection result by the state detecting means. Since the process from the detection by the state detecting means to the occurrence of the transmission event and the transmission of the packet is all executed automatically, that is, without being conscious of the vehicle occupant, the present invention has good automated operability. An in-vehicle device is obtained. Further, even if the vehicle occupant is fainted, injured, or the like, packet transmission is performed, so that a more reliable system can be obtained. Furthermore, if the transmission event detecting means determines that a transmission event has occurred, that is, if the transmission event detection means determines that a transmission event has occurred, that is, if the transmission according to the action of the vehicle occupant is not performed, the packet transmission amount Can be minimized. Alternatively, when the emergency button is operated by the vehicle occupant, the transmission event detection unit determines that the transmission event has occurred with the exception even if no sign of abnormality is found from the detection result by the state detection unit. By doing so, the packet transmission operation can be started at the discretion of the vehicle occupant even if the condition deteriorates so that it cannot be detected by sensors or the like.

Examples of the state detecting means include an acceleration sensor, a pressure sensor, and a temperature sensor. First, when an acceleration sensor for detecting the acceleration applied to the mounting vehicle is provided, a detection value of the acceleration applied to the vehicle due to acceleration / deceleration or turning can be obtained from the acceleration sensor. When the acceleration detected by (1) satisfies a predetermined condition, it is treated as a sign of abnormality in the vehicle or its load, and packet transmission is started. Here, the "predetermined condition" is a condition indicating a possibility that the vehicle is not traveling normally, for example, when the longitudinal acceleration exceeds a predetermined value (sudden braking, collision, etc.), and the gravitational acceleration in the vehicle lateral direction is reduced. It is a condition such as added (rollover).

Next, in the case of a vehicle equipped with a tank filled with a fluid under pressure (for example, an LNG (liquefied natural gas) tank truck), it is desirable to provide a pressure sensor for detecting the internal pressure or the internal / external pressure difference of the vehicle tank. In this case, the transmission event detection means, by the internal pressure or the internal / external pressure difference detected by the pressure sensor satisfies a predetermined condition,
Treat it as a sign of an abnormality in the vehicle tank and activate the packet transmission operation. The “predetermined conditions” here are:
Conditions indicating leakage of fluid from the tank or abnormal tank pressure, for example, the internal pressure of the on-vehicle tank has fallen below a predetermined value.

Further, in the case of a vehicle equipped with a tank filled with a fluid having a temperature different from the outside air temperature (for example, LNG tank truck), the temperature at or near a member (lid, valve, etc.) for closing the opening of the vehicle-mounted tank or its vicinity. It is desirable to provide a temperature sensor for detecting the difference between the temperature and the temperature in the tank. In this case, when the temperature or the temperature difference detected by the temperature sensor satisfies a predetermined condition, the transmission event detecting means treats the temperature or the temperature difference as a sign of an abnormality in the vehicle-mounted tank and activates the packet transmission operation. The "predetermined condition" here is a condition indicating leakage of fluid from the tank or abnormal pressure in the tank, for example, that the temperature of the opening of the vehicle-mounted tank suddenly changes and approaches the temperature in the tank.

As described above, the present invention can be implemented using various sensors corresponding to the type of the vehicle, the type of the load, and the like. That is, a plurality of sensors serving as state detecting means may be provided so that a plurality of different types of state information can be obtained for the mounting destination vehicle or the load. In that case, the determination of the presence or absence of an abnormal sign in the transmission event detecting means may be, for example, (pressure <predetermined value) or (temperature <predetermined value).
And so on according to an OR condition set for each piece of state information obtained by each sensor, or by a plurality of sensors such as (pressure <predetermined value) and (temperature <predetermined value). This may be performed according to an AND condition in which a plurality of obtained state information are combined.

Further, the portion including the transmission event detecting means in the vehicle-mounted device can be formed as an independent unit (“sensor box”). Various sensors are connected to this sensor box. In such a case, various settings for the sensor box are performed by software (for example, by manually inputting various codes or by replacing a storage medium for signal input or setting storage).
By being able to do so, users of the system
The operator can attach or replace the sensor as needed, and at that time, the system can be customized relatively easily. Specifically, on the sensor box or an interpersonal interface extended from the sensor box, variable setting means for variably setting the transmission event detecting means, for example, a key that can be operated by an occupant, a connector to which a cable can be connected, and a medium can be replaced. A storage / recording device or the like may be provided. Examples of the information to be variably set include a type of a sensor to be used, a connection form with the sensor, an input form of a signal generated by the sensor, processing of a signal input from the sensor, and an abnormal symptom by a transmission event detecting unit. The above-described predetermined condition or the like serving as a reference for determination can be set.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a vehicle security monitoring system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle security monitoring system according to the present embodiment is constructed using an existing packet network 10. The packet network 10 is a packet communication network for mobile data communication by, for example, a mobile phone.
Although not shown, in addition to a large number of transmission lines, exchanges, routers, etc.,
It is composed of many base stations 12.

The system according to the present embodiment is a system for monitoring and managing the operation status and operation history of a vehicle and providing appropriate support to center personnel when an abnormality occurs in the vehicle. 14 is to be monitored. Each of the monitoring target vehicles 14 is equipped with a set of in-vehicle devices including a packet communication terminal such as MobileArk, and can be wirelessly connected to the base station 12 by the packet communication terminal. Since the type of information transmitted from the in-vehicle device and the frequency of packet transmission are suppressed as described later, the speed (bandwidth) of data transmission via this wireless connection need not be very broad. For example, since 9600 bps is sufficient, an in-vehicle device, particularly a packet communication terminal, can be realized at low cost. The operation monitoring center 16 is connected to the packet network 10 via, for example, a dedicated line so that the packet can be reliably received when the packet is transmitted from each monitored vehicle 14.

The operation monitoring center 16 has, for example, the configuration shown in FIG.

First, the dedicated line 18 in the figure is connected to the packet network 1.
The router 20 on the operation monitoring center 16 side is connected to the router 20 on the 0 side.
2 is the line connecting them. In the operation monitoring center 16, a network (LAN: Local Area) connected to the dedicated line 18 and thus to the packet network 10 via the router 22.
Network). This network includes, for example, a router 22 and a hub 2 connected to a cable 24 as a transmission line.
6 and the like, and a computer 28 is further connected to the hub 26. It is desirable that the computer 28 always be operated so as to be ready for packet reception. Therefore, for example, it is desirable to use a highly reliable model configured for a server as the computer 28. The computer 28 is normally operated with a commercial power supply. In order to prepare for a power outage, a UPS (Uninterruptible Po
wer Supply) 30 is provided. Further, the computer 28 includes an interface for connecting to a network via the hub 26, a display device for displaying information on the monitored vehicle 14, a map to be superimposed when displaying the position of the monitored vehicle 14, and various other information. In addition to a drive device for a storage medium for storing data of the type (none of which is shown), peripheral devices include a printer that prints out information received via a network or information displayed on a screen of a display device. 32, a patrol light 34 that turns on when a packet indicating an abnormality is received from any of the monitored vehicles 14, a speaker 36 that makes a sound, and the like.

Note that these peripheral devices do not need to be directly connected to the computer 28, and may be provided in another network node accessible from the computer 28. For example, the network may be extended or bridged to another place (for example, a night watch station) different from the place where the computer 28 is installed (for example, a monitoring place in the daytime), and a patrol light 34 or a speaker 36 may be provided in the other place. For example, by setting such that information can be automatically transmitted from the computer 28 to another computer provided in the location at night, monitoring from a plurality of monitoring locations for 24 hours can be realized. Further, technically, the network in the operation monitoring center 16 can be connected to an external network such as a network of a competent authority or a related department. In other words, by preparing a connection route between networks for networks such as the competent authority, the computer 28 automatically connects to the system of the competent authority.
It is also possible to log in and automatically transfer packets addressed to the operation monitoring center 16 to the competent authority. By doing so, if an “abnormality” occurs in any of the monitored vehicles 14, the fact and the status of the abnormality are automatically reported to the competent authorities, and the authorities are encouraged to take measures including dispatch. Can be. However, as will be described later, in the present embodiment, the transmission from the monitoring target vehicle 14 is performed at the stage where a “sign of abnormality” is recognized instead of a certain “abnormality”. It is possible that some of the packets that do not actually indicate "abnormal" may be included. In consideration of this point, in order to avoid unnecessary reports to the competent authorities, etc., the center personnel should use the computer 2 according to the operation of the patrol light 34 and the speaker 36.
It is better to provide a process of reading the screen 8 and the print output of the printer 32 and judging whether or not it is really “abnormal” with the eyes of a skilled person or the human brain.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, a vehicle-mounted device 38 mounted on the monitored vehicle 14 has a sensor box 40,
GPS terminal 42, display 44, packet communication terminal 4
6 and so on.

The state of the monitoring target vehicle 14 where the sensor box 40 is to be mounted (including the state of its load. The same applies hereinafter).
Although not shown, a plurality of sensor connection ports are provided so that a plurality of sensors for detecting the sensor can be connected. The sensors connectable to the sensor box 40 include, for example, a three-axis acceleration sensor 48, a temperature sensor 50, a pressure sensor 52, a door sensor 54, and the like.

Of these, the three-axis acceleration sensor 48
The acceleration applied to the monitoring target vehicle 14 at the mounting location is detected for each component along three mutually intersecting axes. Temperature sensor 5
0 detects the temperature of a load, the temperature of a structure mounted on a vehicle, and the like. If the target vehicle 14 to be mounted is a vehicle that conveys a fluid having a temperature different from that of the outside air, such as an LNG tank lorry, for example, the temperature sensor 50 detects that leakage of LNG that is lower than the outside air occurs. It is desirable to provide the temperature sensor 50 around the inlet / outlet of the vehicle-mounted tank and the lid, valve, and the like in the vicinity thereof so as to lower the temperature. Further, for example, when the pressure in the tank increases due to BOG (boil-off gas) generated from LNG and the pressure applied to the safety valve of the vehicle-mounted tank exceeds a set value, the safety valve operates to release the gas in the tank. It is assumed that it is a mechanism. In this case, by providing the temperature sensor 50 near the safety valve and detecting the release of gas having a temperature lower than room temperature, it is possible to detect the operation of the safety valve and an increase in the tank pressure caused by the operation of the safety valve. Pressure sensor 5
Reference numeral 2 detects a vehicle-mounted structure such as a pressure in a tank. If the vehicle 14 to be mounted is a vehicle that transports a fluid in a pressurized state by enclosing the fluid in a tank, such as an LNG tank lorry, for example, the BOG generated from LNG
It is desirable to provide a pressure sensor 52 for detecting the pressure in the tank or the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the tank so as to detect an increase in the pressure inside the tank due to the above-mentioned and a decrease in the pressure inside the tank due to the leakage of LNG. The door sensor 54 is a sensor for detecting that the door of the monitoring target vehicle 14 of the mounting destination is open, and for example, when the monitoring target vehicle 14 of the mounting destination is running based on the positioning result by the GPS terminal 42. Nevertheless, it can be used to detect when the door is open.

The sensor box 40 receives data from a sensor connected to the sensor connection port, samples and processes the signal, thereby obtaining data indicating the state of the monitored vehicle 14 on which the sensor box 40 is mounted. Sensor box 40
Determines and determines whether or not any sign of abnormality is found in the state of the monitoring target vehicle 14 at the mounting destination by comparing the obtained data with predetermined conditions.

For example, when the absolute value of the longitudinal component of the acceleration detected by the three-axis acceleration sensor 48 exceeds a certain upper limit, the vehicle 14 collides with another vehicle, or the vehicle 14 It is determined that there is a sign of abnormality because there is a possibility that a rear-end collision has occurred or sudden braking has been forced. Further, when the absolute value of the component in the vehicle left-right direction among the accelerations detected by the three-axis acceleration sensor 48 exceeds a certain upper limit, there is a possibility that the vehicle 14 has collided with another vehicle in a side collision or an offset collision. Therefore, it is determined that there is a sign of abnormality. Further, if the gravitational acceleration appears in a component other than the vehicle vertical direction in the acceleration detected by the three-axis acceleration sensor 48, there is a possibility that the vehicle 14 has rolled over or turned over.
It is determined that there is a sign of abnormality. Here, before and after,
Although the left, right, up, and down detection directions are assumed, the detection directions of the three-axis acceleration sensor 48 may be directed to other directions. If the data obtained from the output of the temperature sensor 50 or the pressure sensor 52 indicates a decrease in the temperature or pressure below a certain lower limit, the LNG or the like is removed from the tank of the monitoring target vehicle 14 where the mounting is performed. Because it may have leaked,
It is determined that there is a sign of abnormality. Further, the door sensor 54
If the data obtained from the output indicates that the door is open, and if the monitoring target vehicle 14 on which the GPS terminal 42 is mounted is running based on the positioning result, the vehicle is stolen It is determined that "there is a sign of abnormality" because there is a possibility of the above.

The above example is an example in which conditions are set for each sensor, that is, an OR condition is set for outputs of a plurality of sensors. For example, an AND condition such as pressure <predetermined value and temperature <predetermined value is satisfied. May be set.

In order to execute the above-described processing, the sensor box 40 needs to know which sensor is connected to which of the sensor connection ports.
What period should be used to sample the signals input from each sensor, what time interval, processing method, and judgment conditions (upper / lower threshold, etc.) of the data obtained by sampling those input signals The items such as whether to perform the processing and determination in ()) are set before mounting or before starting use. This setting can be realized as a hardware setting involving partial replacement of hardware in the sensor box 40 and switching of switches, but in the present embodiment, it is possible to perform software setting. ing.

That is, a serial port or the like is provided in the sensor box 40, and setting information is written into a memory or a storage / recording medium in the sensor box 40 via the serial port. Operating unit 5 provided on or beside screen 56 of display 44 for inserting the storage / recording medium into the slot.
The setting can be performed in such a form that a setting operation is performed at 8 and setting information is written into a memory or a storage / recording medium in the sensor box 40. Therefore, in this embodiment, a user / operator of the system can attach or replace the sensor as needed, and at that time, the system can be customized relatively easily.

It should be noted that members for enabling software setting, for example, storage / recording medium / device, connectors, operating members, and input / output procedures for coordinating between them are the techniques to which the present invention belongs. Since it can be obtained by those well known to those skilled in the field and obvious modifications thereof, detailed description thereof is omitted here. However, realizing the sensor box 40 by diverting and deforming the known technology is not easily conceivable.

Further, the sensor box 40 monitors the state of the monitoring target vehicle 14 at the mounting destination and detects the sign of abnormality so that the packet communication terminal 46 can promptly transmit the packet.
Operates constantly (or intermittently at a sufficiently short predetermined cycle) upon receiving power supply from a vehicle-mounted power supply 60 (for example, a battery),
Further, among the various sensors connected to the sensor box 40, those requiring power supply for the operation are supplied with power from the vehicle-mounted power supply 60 via the sensor box 40 or directly.

That is, the sensor box 40 is a device that detects a sign of abnormality of the monitored vehicle 14 on which it is mounted based on signals from various sensors and executes the transmission by the packet communication terminal 46 as a transmission event. Ideally, it is always in the energizing operation state. On the other hand, the GPS terminal 42 and the display 4
4. The components such as the packet communication terminal 46 also receive power from the vehicle-mounted power source 60, but these components do not always need to be operated (power is supplied) at all times. Only when a transmission event such as detection of a symptom occurs, operation may be performed for a period necessary for positioning and packet transmission.

The GPS terminal 42 of the members shown at the subsequent stage of the sensor box 40 receives a navigation signal from a GPS satellite using a GPS antenna 62 and determines the received navigation signal and the synchronization state at the time of reception. It derives information such as the current position (latitude and longitude), moving speed, and moving direction of the monitoring target vehicle 14 at the mounting destination, and supplies the result to the display device 44 and the packet communication terminal device 46. When the determination condition in the sensor box 40 includes the current position of the monitoring target vehicle 14 at the mounting location, the output of the GPS terminal 42 is also supplied to the sensor box 40.

One of the reasons for providing the GPS terminal 42 is as follows.
One is to enable the positioning result to be displayed on a screen 56 of a display 44 for a vehicle occupant provided at or near the dashboard (which can be integrated with and used as a display for car navigation). Another object of the present invention is to make it possible to transmit information such as the position of a monitoring target vehicle on which the device is mounted as a part of a packet when a sign of abnormality is detected in the sensor box 40 or when an emergency button is operated. Therefore, it is desirable that the GPS terminal 42 always performs the positioning operation. When the intermittent positioning operation is performed in order to suppress the consumption of the vehicle-mounted power supply 60, the positioning suspension (sleep) period is set so that the positioning result set in the packet can be said to be effective (for the purpose of monitoring) even when transmitting the packet. shorten. Although not shown, the emergency button is provided on the surface of the housing of the GPS terminal 42 installed on the floor or the like, or provided on the operation unit 58 of the display 44 so that the vehicle occupant can easily operate. When the sensor box 40 is placed in the vehicle interior, an emergency button such as the surface of the sensor box 40 may be provided.

The packet communication terminal 46 and its antenna 64 are connected to a packet addressed to the operation monitoring center 16 when an abnormality sign is detected in the sensor box 40 or when an emergency button is operated by a vehicle occupant. This is a means for executing transmission. PDC-P (Personal Di
A terminal and an antenna for a Gital Cellular-Packet) can be used as the packet communication terminal 46 and the antenna 64 thereof.

The packet communication terminal 46 receives, from the GPS terminal 42, information such as the current position and time of the monitored vehicle 14 on which the packet is to be mounted, and also determines what event triggered the packet transmission (sensor output). Is received from the sensor box 40 or the interface member with the emergency button, and the information is transmitted by a packet. Further, when transmission is performed because an “sign of abnormality” is detected from the sensor output, information indicating which sensor output indicates the “sign of abnormality” is obtained from the sensor box 40 or obtained from the sensor. Received the detected value,
Send them as well. Note that an identification code (address) for specifying the own station and the operation monitoring center 1
Also, an identification code (address) for specifying 6 is transmitted.

If there is room in space, cost, transmission speed, or the like, or if it is particularly necessary for the purpose of the system, a digital camera 66 may be mounted as a part of the vehicle-mounted device 38. For example, when a transmission event occurs, the digital camera 66 automatically captures a specific part of the monitoring target vehicle 14 or a predetermined direction around the vehicle in response to the transmission event, and obtains a resulting still image or The data indicating the moving image is supplied to the packet communication terminal 46,
It is transmitted to the operation monitoring center 16.

The vehicle-mounted device 3 of any one of the monitored vehicles 14
8, the packet is transmitted to the wireless section between the in-vehicle device 38 and the base station 12, the packet network 10,
It is distributed to the operation monitoring center 16 as a destination via the dedicated line 18 or the like. Upon receiving this packet, the computer 28 provided in the operation monitoring center 16 automatically executes a pre-programmed operation accordingly. For example,
Received packet is an “indicator of abnormality” in sensor output
If the signal indicates that the emergency button has been operated, the position and status of the monitoring target vehicle, which is the source of the packet, are displayed on the screen of the display device, and the patrol light 34 is turned on and off. Speaker 36
Output a predetermined alarm sound, message voice, and the like.

As a display form of the current position on the screen of the display device, for example, a map of a region including the current position of the monitoring target vehicle 14 of the transmission source is displayed on the screen, and the current position of the monitoring target 14 of the transmission source is displayed. There is a form in which the marker shown is superimposed on the map. As another display mode, the current position of the monitoring target vehicle 14 of the transmission source is displayed in a window displaying a map or another window in a form such as a latitude and longitude, an address display, and a route name display. There is also a form of displaying. When a "symbol of abnormality" in the sensor output or a packet transmitted by an emergency button operation is received, the current position is displayed in these forms, information for identifying the monitoring target vehicle 14 or the occupant of the transmission source, the vehicle 14 indicates whether the vehicle is running or stopped, and the content of the situation that occurred in the vehicle (“sign of abnormality”).
, The value detected by the sensor, the presence or absence of operation of the emergency button, etc.) are displayed on the screen of the display device. When an image from the digital camera 66 is received, the image can be displayed on the screen of the display device.

Although the display has been described here,
The print output by the printer 32 can be in a similar form. Further, the print output by the printer 32 may be automatically executed in response to reception,
It may be executed at any time according to the operation of the monitoring staff of the operation monitoring center 16.

The monitoring personnel of the operation monitoring center 16 looks at the screen of the display device of the computer 28 and determines whether or not it is necessary to contact the competent authority or the like. The reason why the judgment of the monitoring person, that is, the human being is interposed in this way is to prevent unnecessary alarms as described above. That is, on the vehicle 14 side, in order to realize safer vehicle operation as much as possible, the sensor output is compared with a relatively simple determination condition to notify the operation monitoring center 16 when "signs of abnormality" are found. I have. Thus, it may not be possible to conclude that what was found as a "sign of anomaly" does indeed lead to an "abnormality". For example, even when no large acceleration is actually applied to the vehicle 14, if a large noise is mixed in the input to the sensor box 40, the output of the three-axis acceleration sensor 48 is larger than the upper limit value. The sensor box 40 may determine that acceleration is being indicated. For this reason, an operation is performed in which the output from the display device of the computer 28 or the printer 32 is listed, and if it can be regarded as comprehensively not apparently “abnormal”, the notification to the authority is not performed. Depending on the situation, the occupant of the transmission source vehicle 14 may be contacted wirelessly, and the vehicle 14 may be repaired or evacuated. Note that, as described above, an automatic notification may be made to a competent authority or the like.

As described above, in this embodiment, since the vehicle security monitoring system is constructed using the existing packet communication service as a platform, so-called a platform, it is not necessary to provide infrastructure for constructing the system. Obtaining a communication license to maintain is also not required, and thus the system can be started up cheaply. In addition, in the existing packet communication service, charging is performed according to the amount of packet transmission. Therefore, by suppressing the amount of packet transmission as in the present embodiment, the running cost after the start of operation can be suppressed. That is, in the present embodiment, since the automatic notification to the operation monitoring center 16 is executed according to the sensor output determination result of the monitoring target vehicle 14 and the emergency button operation, the amount of packet transmission via the packet network 10 is required. While minimizing and reducing communication traffic to a minimum, the packet network 1
0 usage fee can be suppressed.

Further, in the present embodiment, an automatic notification according to the sensor output determination result is performed. Therefore, an abnormality that the occupant of the monitoring target vehicle 14 does not notice, for example, an inconspicuous leakage of the content from the on-vehicle tank can be accurately known on the operation monitoring center 16 side. Further, even when the monitored vehicle 14 encounters an accident such as a rollover and the occupant loses consciousness, the packet communication terminal 46 is detected by various sensors.
As long as a series of systems leading to the operation is operating, the situation can be grasped on the operation monitoring center 16 side. Since the emergency button is also provided, the operation monitoring center 16 can be notified of the type of abnormality that cannot be detected by the sensor.

Further, information such as types of sensors to be connected, ports to which those sensors are connected, sampling periods of input signals from those sensors, and determination conditions to be applied to the obtained input signals are described in software. Sensor box 40
Therefore, it is necessary to change the configuration of the sensor box 40 according to the sensor to be provided (addition of an AD conversion board,
Therefore, the system operator can customize the in-vehicle device 38 so as to meet the purpose of the system without using hardware. it can.

The present invention also relates to a system in which vehicles other than the LNG tank lorry are monitored vehicles 14.
Can be implemented. INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be suitably applied to, for example, various vehicles (regardless of whether they are for freight or for personnel) that can detect the state of a load, such as a dangerous goods transport vehicle. Further, the acceleration, temperature, pressure, and door sensors are illustrated as sensors, but other sensors may be used. For example, a sensor that detects the pulse, breathing, and the like of the vehicle occupant may be provided so as to cope with sudden illness of the vehicle occupant. A connector for detecting the connector disconnection / wiring alteration is provided in the connector of the vehicle battery or the electronic system in the vehicle,
You may make it possible to deal with vehicle theft and the like. Also, an example in which the GPS is used as the positioning system has been described.
GPS with some technical reinforcement such as S,
Another type of system that can be used in a vehicle-mounted device may be used. Packet communication service /
Although the system has been illustrated, other types of communication networks / communication services may be used. In the above description, the processing at the time of abnormality has been mainly described. However, it is needless to say that the system of the present invention can be used for vehicle operation management in a normal state.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of an operation monitoring center.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a vehicle-mounted device.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 packet network, 12 base stations, 14 monitored vehicles, 16 operation monitoring center, 28 computers, 3
8 In-vehicle device, 40 sensor box, 42 GPS terminal, 44 display, 46 packet communication terminal, 48
3-axis acceleration sensor, 50 temperature sensor, 52 pressure sensor.

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Akira Takai 5-1-1 Shimorenjaku, Mitaka City, Tokyo Inside Japan Radio Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Hiromitsu Ito 1-17-1 Chiyo, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture In the Western Gas Co., Ltd. DD14 EE05 EE15 FF01 FF02 FF19 GG07 GG14 5H180 AA07 AA13 BB05 CC04 FF05 FF13 5K067 BB21 CC08 DD20 DD30 DD51 EE02 EE10 EE16 JJ52 JJ56

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A method for constructing and operating a system for monitoring an operation status of a vehicle at an operation monitoring center using a packet network to which a wireless base station is connected, wherein the system is mounted on a vehicle to be monitored. While the device is installed,
The operation monitoring center is connected to the packet network so that packets destined for itself can always be received from the packet network, and the on-vehicle device detects that a predetermined transmission event indicating deterioration of the state of the vehicle on which the vehicle is mounted has occurred on the vehicle. Transmission event detection means, a positioning device that detects the current position and time of the vehicle on which the vehicle is mounted using GPS or the like, and a packet communication terminal that automatically wirelessly transmits a packet to a base station in response to a transmission event. The packet includes at least information for specifying the operation monitoring center of the receiving destination, information for specifying the vehicle of the transmission source, information indicating the type of the transmission event that has occurred, and transmission when the transmission event has occurred. A method comprising information indicating the current location and time of the original vehicle. 2. A vehicle security monitoring system constructed and operated by the method according to claim 1. 3. An in-vehicle device used in the vehicle security monitoring system according to claim 2, wherein the in-vehicle device includes the transmission event detecting means, the positioning device, and the packet communication terminal. State detecting means for automatically detecting the state of the load, and the transmission event detecting means detects the transmission event when the loading destination vehicle or the load has an indication of an abnormality based on the detection result by the state detection means. An in-vehicle device for determining that an error has occurred. 4. The on-vehicle device according to claim 3, wherein the transmission event detecting means determines that the transmission event has occurred only when the sign of the abnormality is recognized. 5. The on-vehicle device according to claim 3, further comprising an emergency button operated by a vehicle occupant, wherein the transmission event detecting means detects the emergency button even if no sign of the abnormality is recognized. If operated,
As an exception, an in-vehicle device that determines that the transmission event has occurred. 6. The in-vehicle device according to claim 3, further comprising at least an acceleration sensor for detecting an acceleration applied to a vehicle on which the vehicle is mounted, as the state detecting means, An in-vehicle apparatus characterized in that the acceleration detected by the sensor satisfies a predetermined condition indicating that the vehicle may not be traveling normally and is treated as a sign of the abnormality. 7. The on-vehicle device according to claim 3, wherein the monitoring target vehicle is a vehicle equipped with a tank filled with a fluid under pressure, and as a state detecting means, at least a vehicle on which the vehicle is mounted. A pressure sensor for detecting the internal pressure or the internal / external pressure difference of the tank provided is provided, and the transmission event detecting means detects whether the internal pressure or the internal / external pressure difference detected by the pressure sensor detects fluid leakage from the tank or abnormality in the tank internal pressure. An in-vehicle device characterized in that when a predetermined condition shown is satisfied, it is treated as a sign of the abnormality. 8. The on-vehicle device according to claim 3, wherein the monitoring target vehicle is a vehicle equipped with a tank filled with a fluid having a temperature different from the outside air temperature, and at least A temperature sensor for detecting the temperature at or near the member that closes the opening of the tank mounted on the vehicle on which the vehicle is mounted, or a temperature sensor for detecting the difference between the temperature and the temperature in the tank; An in-vehicle device characterized in that the detected temperature or temperature difference satisfies a predetermined condition indicating leakage of fluid from the tank or abnormality in the pressure in the tank, and is treated as a sign of the abnormality. 9. The on-vehicle device according to claim 3, further comprising a plurality of sensors serving as state detecting means so that a plurality of different types of state information can be obtained for the vehicle on which the vehicle is mounted or the load thereof. An in-vehicle device, wherein a transmission event detecting means individually or in combination with the state information obtained by the plurality of sensors, and determines the presence or absence of the above-mentioned sign of abnormality in accordance with a predetermined condition. 10. A sensor box used in the in-vehicle device according to claim 9, wherein the transmission event detecting means, a type of a sensor to be used, a connection form with the sensor, and a signal generated by the sensor. Input form, processing of a signal input from the sensor, and at least one of the predetermined conditions, variably setting means for variably setting the transmission event detecting means, the variable setting means, from the outside A sensor box as software variable setting means for executing the variable setting according to given setting information.