# US 10,769,928 B2 · Vehicle state presentation system, vehicle, terminal device, and vehicle state presentation method

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 10,769,928 B2
- Document ID: US10769928B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/132,763
- Filed: 2018-09-17
- Published: 2019-03-28
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2017-09-27
- Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Hiroki Okada; Ryuta Atsumi; Satoshi Fujisaki; Daisuke Hiroki; Shinpei Asai
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10769928B2

## CPC

- G08B 21/24: Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
- B60K 35/10: Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
- B60K 35/26: using acoustic output
- B60K 35/265: {Voice}
- B60K 35/28: characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
- B60K 35/60: Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles (arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10)
- B60K 35/80: Arrangements for controlling instruments
- B60Q 5/005: {automatically actuated}
- B60Q 9/001: {Alarm devices when the motor is stopped and the lights are on}
- B60R 16/023: for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems
- B60R 25/1001: {Alarm systems associated with another car fitting or mechanism, e.g. door lock or knob, pedals (features related to the general power supply B60R25/1018)}
- B60K 2360/62: Anti-theft arrangements
- B60K 2360/794: on or in doors
- B60R 2025/1016: {Remote signals alerting owner or authorities, e.g. radio signals}
- G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
- B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
- B60Q: ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A vehicle state presentation system includes a terminal device including an ear mounting unit that is mounted on an ear of a user, and a vehicle. The vehicle includes a first communication unit that wirelessly communicates with the terminal device, and a first controller that causes the first communication unit to transmit a notification signal indicating that the vehicle detects a state of the vehicle other than a predetermined state to the terminal device, and the terminal device includes a second communication unit that wirelessly communicates with the vehicle, and a second controller that causes an output unit to perform a notification to the user based on the notification signal received by the second communication unit when the terminal device moves out of a predetermined distance range in which the vehicle is included.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vehicle state presentation system comprising:
a terminal device including an ear mounting unit that is mounted on an ear of a user; and
a vehicle that performs wireless communication with the terminal device, wherein:
the vehicle includes:
a first communication unit that communicates with the terminal device through wireless communication, and
a first controller that monitors a state of the vehicle and causes the first communication unit to transmit a notification signal to the terminal device, the notification signal indicating that a first state of the vehicle other than a predetermined state is detected; and
the terminal device includes:
a second communication unit that communicates with the vehicle through wireless communication,
an output unit that is provided in the ear mounting unit and performs a notification to the user through sound or vibration,
a determination unit that determines whether the terminal device moves out of a predetermined distance range in which the vehicle is included, and
a second controller that causes the output unit to perform the notification to the user based on the notification signal received by the second communication unit when the determination unit determines that the terminal device moves out of the predetermined distance range in which the vehicle is included.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vehicle state presentation system according to claim 1, wherein the second controller of the terminal device includes a determination unit that determines that the terminal device moves out of the predetermined distance range in which the vehicle is included when the second communication unit does not receive communication radio waves from the vehicle or when a strength of the communication radio waves which the second communication unit is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The vehicle state presentation system according to claim 1, wherein the second controller of the terminal device causes the output unit to perform a notification to the user according to the notification signal when the second controller determines that the state of the vehicle is the first state of the vehicle other than the predetermined state based on the notification signal received by the second communication unit.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The vehicle state presentation system according to claim 2, wherein:
the terminal device further includes an input unit that receives a first input instructing the vehicle to be in the predetermined state from the user;
when the input unit receives the first input from the user who wears the terminal device and is present within a range in which the user communicates with the vehicle after the output unit performs the notification according to the notification signal, the second controller causes the second communication unit to transmit a first instruction signal to the vehicle; and
the first controller of the vehicle executes an operation of setting the vehicle to the predetermined state when the first communication unit receives the first instruction signal.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The vehicle state presentation system according to claim 1, wherein the first controller of the vehicle executes an operation of setting the vehicle to the predetermined state when the first state other than the predetermined state of the vehicle continues for a predetermined period after the first communication unit transmits the notification signal.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The vehicle state presentation system according to claim 4, wherein:
the input unit of the terminal device further receives a second input instructing the vehicle to maintain a current state, from the user;
when the input unit receives the second input from the user who wears the terminal device and is present within a range in which the user communicates with the vehicle after the notification according to the notification signal, the second controller causes the second communication unit to transmit a second instruction signal to the vehicle; and
the first controller of the vehicle executes an operation of setting the vehicle to the predetermined state when the first communication unit does not receive the second instruction signal for a predetermined period after the first communication unit transmits the notification signal and the first state of the vehicle other than the predetermined state continues, and does not execute the operation of setting the vehicle to the predetermined state when the first communication unit receives the second instruction signal.

### Claim 7

A vehicle that wirelessly communicates with a terminal device, the vehicle comprising:
a communication unit that communicates with the terminal device through wireless communication, the terminal device including: (i) an ear mounting unit including an output unit which has a speaker mounted on an ear of a user and which performs a notification to the user, and (ii) a determination unit that determines whether the terminal device moves out of a predetermined distance range in which the vehicle is included; and
a controller configured to:
monitor a state of the vehicle and causes the communication unit to transmit a notification signal indicating that a state of the vehicle other than a predetermined state is detected to the terminal device, and
perform a notification to the user when the determination unit determines that the terminal device moves out of the predetermined distance range.

### Claim 8

A terminal device comprising:
an ear mounting unit that is mounted on an ear of a user;
a communication unit that communicates with a vehicle through wireless communication;
an output unit that is provided in the ear mounting unit and performs a notification to the user through sound or vibration;
a determination unit that determines whether the terminal device moves out of a predetermined distance range in which the vehicle is included;
a controller that causes the output unit to execute a notification to the user based on a notification signal indicating a state of the vehicle that the communication unit receives from the vehicle when the determination unit determines that the terminal device moves out of the predetermined distance range in which the vehicle is included.

### Claim 9

A vehicle state presentation method comprising:
monitoring, by a computer of a vehicle, a state of the vehicle and transmitting a notification signal indicating that a state of the vehicle other than a predetermined state is detected to a terminal device through wireless communication, the terminal device including an ear mounting unit including an output unit that is mounted on an ear of the user and performs a notification to the user through sound or vibration;
determining, by the computer of the terminal device, whether the terminal device moves out of a predetermined distance range in which the vehicle is included; and
causing, by the computer of the terminal device, the output unit to perform the notification to the user based on the notification signal received from the vehicle through the wireless communication when the terminal device is determined as moving out of the predetermined distance range in which the vehicle is included.

### Claim 10

A vehicle state presentation system comprising:
a terminal device including an ear mounting unit that is mounted on an ear of a user; and
a vehicle that performs wireless communication with the terminal device, wherein:
the vehicle includes
a first communication unit that communicates with the terminal device through wireless communication, and
a first controller that monitors a state of the vehicle and causes the first communication unit to transmit a notification signal to the terminal device, the notification signal indicating that a first state of the vehicle other than a predetermined state is detected;
the terminal device includes
a second communication unit that communicates with the vehicle through wireless communication,
an output unit that is provided in the ear mounting unit and performs a notification to the user through sound or vibration, and
a second controller that causes the output unit to perform the notification to the user based on the notification signal received by the second communication unit when the terminal device moves out of a predetermined distance range in which the vehicle is included;
the terminal device further includes an input unit that receives a first input instructing the vehicle to be in the predetermined state from the user or a second input instructing the vehicle to maintain a current state from the user;
the second controller causes the second communication unit to transmit a first instruction signal to the vehicle when the input unit receives a first input, and causes the second communication unit to transmit a second instruction signal to the vehicle when the input unit receives a second input; and
the first controller executes an operation of setting the vehicle to the predetermined state when the first communication unit receives the first instruction signal, and does not execute the operation of setting the vehicle to the predetermined state when the first communication unit receives the second instruction signal.

### Claim 11 (depends on 4)

The vehicle state presentation system according to claim 4, wherein the second controller notifies the user of the fact that the user is needed to approach the vehicle when the first input is performed at a time when the output unit performs the notification.

### Claim 12 (depends on 6)

The vehicle state presentation system according to claim 6, wherein the second controller execute the operation of setting the vehicle to the predetermined state after a predetermined time has elapsed after the first communication unit receives the second instruction signal.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The vehicle state presentation system according to claim 10, wherein the second controller execute the operation of setting the vehicle to the predetermined state after a predetermined time has elapsed after the first communication unit receives the second instruction signal.