Author: claimsbot

1. Interactive digital television method for automotive car, truck or other vehicle group integrated sensing and billing service comprising steps of:
configuring a server to communicate via a wireless network to one or more mobile automotive car, truck or other vehicle client classified in a network client group, wherein the network client group comprises the at least one vehicle client and a residential interactive digital television device associated with the at least one vehicle client; and
servicing the network client group by accessing electronically one or more sensor embedded in at least one of said one or more mobile automotive car, truck or other vehicle client via the wireless network when the accessed client is moving;
wherein the server runs software for billing the network client group and sending a message according to the classification of the at least one accessed client via a wired network to the residential interactive digital television device associated with the at least one accessed client, the network client group comprising the sensed mobile automotive car, truck or other vehicle client and the billed residential device associated with the sensed mobile vehicle client, wherein the server automatically provides integrated sensing and billing services to said network client group respectively via wireless network access to sense said mobile vehicle client and wired network access to bill the associated residential interactive digital television device, whereby such integrated services enable real-time access to a database that commonly registers both the wirelessly sensed mobile automotive car, truck or other vehicle client as well as the residentially billed interactive digital television device associated with such particular wirelessly sensed vehicle client, such that both the registered wirelessly sensed mobile automotive car, truck or other vehicle client and the residentially billed interactive digital television device commonly registered therewith are thus each classified automatically in real-time by the software according to the database common registration as accessible collectively within the same network client group for providing the integrated wireless sensing and residential billing services.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the server accesses one or more sensor provided in the at least one accessed client.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein:
at least one of the accessed sensor comprises a pressure sensor or accelerometer for indicating an airbag deployment or emergency impact condition.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the server compares one or more electromechanical sensor values with one or more associated values stored in a database.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the message comprises a vehicle diagnostic report of the accessed client.
6. The method of claim 2 wherein:
the server receives a feedback signal from at least one of the accessed sensor, such that the server sends adaptively a control signal to control one or more electro-mechanical transducer provided in the at least one accessed client.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the network client group is serviced by the server providing to the at least one accessed client or residential device access electronically to an expert resource service for facilitating automotive defect detection for repair, upgrade or recall thereof.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the network client group comprises a family covered under a group insurance coverage for enabling service of the network client group.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the software comprises a real-time task manager for using multi-member group data to generate informative response to one or more automotive client query via an interactive audio media interface.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein:
the media interface communicates GPS navigational information.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the server accesses a registry storing representation of each mobile automotive client and associated residential device belonging to the network client group.
12. Interactive digital television system for automotive car, truck or other vehicle group integrated sensing and billing service comprising:
a server comprising a processor and a memory unit;
said server configured to communicate via a wireless network to one or more mobile automotive car, truck or other vehicle client classified in a network client group, wherein the network client group comprises the at least one vehicle client and a residential interactive digital television device associated with the at least one vehicle client; the server servicing the network client group by accessing electronically one or more sensor embedded in at least one of said one or more mobile automotive car, truck or other vehicle client via the wireless network when the accessed client is moving; the server running software for billing the network client group and sending a message according to the classification of the at least one accessed client via a wired network to the residential interactive digital television device associated with the at least one accessed client; the network client group comprising the sensed mobile automotive car, truck or other vehicle client and the billed residential device associated with the sensed mobile vehicle client; wherein the server automatically provides integrated sensing and billing services to said network client group respectively via wireless network access to sense said mobile vehicle client and wired network access to bill the associated residential interactive digital television device, whereby such integrated services enable real-time access to a database that commonly registers both the wirelessly sensed mobile automotive car, truck or other vehicle client as well as the residentially billed interactive digital television device associated with such particular wirelessly sensed vehicle client, such that both the registered wirelessly sensed mobile automotive car, truck or other vehicle client and the residentially billed interactive digital television device commonly registered therewith are thus each classified automatically in real-time by the software according to the database common registration as accessible collectively within the same network client group for providing the integrated wireless sensing and residential billing services.
13. The system of claim 12 wherein:
the server accesses one or more sensor provided in the at least one accessed client.
14. The system of claim 13 wherein:
at least one of the accessed sensor comprises a pressure sensor or accelerometer for indicating an airbag deployment or emergency impact condition.
15. The system of claim 12 wherein:
the server compares one or more electromechanical sensor values with one or more associated values stored in a database.
16. The system of claim 12 wherein:
the message comprises a vehicle diagnostic report of the accessed client.
17. The system of claim 13 wherein:
the server receives a feedback signal from at least one of the accessed sensor, such that the server sends adaptively a control signal to control one or more electro-mechanical transducer provided in the at least one accessed client.
18. The system of claim 12 wherein:
the network client group is serviced by the server providing to the at least one accessed client or residential device access electronically to an expert resource service for facilitating automotive defect detection for repair, upgrade or recall thereof.
19. The system of claim 12 wherein:
the network client group comprises a family covered under a group insurance coverage for enabling service of the network client group.
20. The system of claim 12 wherein:
the software comprises a real-time task manager for using multi-member group data to generate informative response to one or more mobile automotive client query via an interactive audio media interface.
21. The system of claim 20 wherein: the media interface communicates GPS navigational information.
22. The system of claim 12 wherein:
the server accesses a registry storing representation of each mobile automotive client and associated residential device belonging to the network client group.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. An automatic stopstart controller for an internal combustion engine of a vehicle equipped with an automatic transmission having a power transmitting means which permits a sliding between an input shaft and an output shaft thereof, a shift transmission mechanism, and a direct connecting means for connecting an input shaft and an output shaft of the shift transmission mechanism, the automatic transmission transmitting a driving power of the internal combustion engine to a driving shaft, the automatic stopstart controller comprising:
an automatic stop control means for stopping a fuel injection at a time when the vehicle is in a specified decelerate condition where the vehicle likely stops and an automatic stop requirement is generated; and
an automatic start control means for restarting the internal combustion engine by restarting the fuel injection at a time when a restart requirement is generated during a fuel injection stop period generated by the automatic stop control means, wherein
the automatic stop control means performs a control in which the input shaft and the output shaft of the shift transmission mechanism are directly connected with each other by the direct connecting means when the fuel injection is stopped based on the automatic stop requirement, whereby the driving power is transmitted from the internal combustion engine to the driving shaft through the power transmitting means.
2. An automatic stopstart controller for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein
in a case that the restart requirement is generated before the vehicle is completely stopped during the fuel injection stop period, the automatic stop control means cancels a direct connecting condition where the input shaft and the output shaft of the shift transmission mechanism are directly connected with each other by the direct connecting means, when a difference between a rotational speed of the internal combustion engine and a rotational speed of the input shaft of the shift transmission mechanism becomes within a specified value after the internal combustion engine is restarted by the automatic start control means.
3. An automatic stopstart controller for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein
in a case that the restart requirement is not generated before the vehicle is completely stopped during the fuel injection stop period, the automatic stop control means cancels a direct connecting condition where the input shaft and the output shaft of the shift transmission mechanism are directly connected with each other by the direct connecting means, when the vehicle is completely stopped.
4. An automatic stopstart controller for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein
the shift transmission mechanism has a gear which is unconnectable directly, and
in a case that the gear of the shift transmission mechanism is unconnectable directly when the input shaft and the output shaft of the shift transmission mechanism will be directly connected with each other, the automatic stop control means shifts the unconnectable gear to a connectable gear to directly connect the input shaft and the output shaft of the shift transmission mechanism.

1. An electronic money charger, comprising:
a readerwriter which reads and writes data with respect to a storage medium in which an electronic money balance used in an electronic money service has been stored;
position information obtaining means which obtains position information representing a position of the electronic money charger; and
control means which has control to perform an electronic money deposit process by adding an amount of an inserted currency to the electronic money balance in the storage medium via the readerwriter, and control to disable said deposit process if the position information obtained by the position information obtaining means after installation of the electronic money charger is different from the position information obtained at the time of the installation of the electronic money charger.
2. The electronic money charger according to claim 1, wherein:
said control means disables said deposit process if a difference between positions corresponding to each of said position information after the installation and said position information at the time of the installation is equal to or more than a predetermined distance.
3. The electronic money charger according to claim 1, wherein:
said control means deletes a program for performing the electronic money deposit process, if said position information after the installation and said position information at the time of the installation are different from each other.
4. The electronic money charger according to claim 1, wherein:
said control means deletes access information for accessing the electronic money balance in the storage medium, if said position information after the installation and said position information at the time of the installation are different from each other.
5. The electronic money charger according to claim 1, wherein:
said control means transmits predetermined abnormal information to a predetermined management server connected thereto via a network if said position information after the installation and said position information at the time of the installation are different from each other.
6. The electronic money charger according to claim 5, wherein:
said control means transmits the abnormal information including at least said position information after the installation to said management server.
7. The electronic money charger according to claim 1, wherein:
said control means deletes connection information for connecting to a predetermined management server connected thereto via a network.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

What is claimed is:

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:
data storage means for storing application data concerning the usage of said image processing apparatus so that rewriting of said application data is enabled;
control means for controlling the operation of said image processing apparatus based on said application data stored in said data storage means;
data acquisition means for accessing a server that stores application data, used for updating, as update data and for obtaining said update data;
data updating means for rewriting said application data stored in said data storage means to provide said update data obtained by said data acquisition means; and
acquisition method storage means for storing, in advance, an acquisition method designated for obtaining said update data,
wherein, when instruction information for instructing the updating of said application data is entered in said image processing apparatus, said data acquisition means accesses said server in accordance with said acquisition method stored in said acquisition method storage means and obtains said update data.
2. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said acquisition method storage means stores setup data that are required to obtain said update data using said acquisition method designated in advance.
3. An image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said acquisition method storage means stores, as said setup data, at least one address for said server for storing update data and an ID or a password for accessing said server.
4. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said acquisition method is a method for using HTTP (Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol) or FTP (File Transfer Protocol).
5. An image processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said instruction information includes data type information indicating the type of said update data; and wherein, based on, at the least, either data type information included in said instruction information or one of several identification data sets for a serial number unique to said image processing apparatus, a product number, a model name, a product version, a model version or an application data version that is stored in said image processing apparatus, said data acquisition means specifies update data stored in an HTTP server or an FTP server and obtains said specified update data from said HTTP server or said FTP server.
6. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said acquisition method is a method for using electronic mail.
7. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said instruction information is entered through using an operating unit of said image processing apparatus, or is received from an external device connected to said image processing apparatus.
8. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
validity condition setup means for setting a condition, for a validity term or a validity limit, under which said data acquisition means obtains said update data or said data update means updates said application data; and
inhibiting means for inhibiting, when said instruction information entered for said image processing apparatus does not satisfy said condition designated by said validity condition setup means, the operation of said data acquisition means for acquiring said update data, or said data updating means for updating said application data.
9. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
validity condition setup means for setting a condition, for a validity term or a validity limit, under which said data acquisition means obtains said update data or said data update means updates said application data; and
instruction error notification means for, when said instruction information entered for said image processing apparatus does not satisfy said condition designated by said validity condition setup means, issuing a notification to a transmission source of said instruction information that said instruction information does not satisfy said condition concerning said validity term or said validity limit.
10. An image processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said validity condition setup means designates said condition concerning said validity term or said validity limit based on validity information for said validity term or said validity limit included in said instruction information, or in accordance with an instruction received from an external device connected to said image processing apparatus or an instruction entered using said operating means of said image processing apparatus.
11. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said data acquisition means accesses said server by using said acquisition method stored in said acquisition method storage means, and obtains test data for a communication test.
12. An image processing apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:
error detection means for, when said test data are obtained by said data acquisition means, detecting an error that has occurred before said test data are obtained, or an error in said obtained test data; and
communication error notification means for providing notification that said error has been detected by said error detection means.
13. An image processing apparatus comprising:
data storage means for storing application data, concerning the usage of said image processing apparatus, so that rewriting of said application data is enabled;
control means for controlling the operation of said image processing apparatus based on said application data stored in said data storage means;
data acquisition means for accessing a server that stores application data used for updating as update data and for obtaining said update data;
data updating means for rewriting said application data, stored in said data storage means, as said update data obtained by said data acquisition means; and
acquisition method selection means for selecting, from among a plurality of acquisition methods prepared to obtain update data, an acquisition method to be used for the acquisition of said update data,
wherein, when instruction information for instructing the updating of said application data is entered in said image processing apparatus, said data acquisition means accesses said server, by using said acquisition method selected by said acquisition method selection means, and obtains said update data.
14. An image processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said acquisition method selection means selects an acquisition method used for the acquisition of update data, and designates setup data required to obtain update data using said acquisition method.
15. An image processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said setup data includes, at the least, one address for said server used to store said update data, and a required ID or password for accessing said server.
16. An image processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein, based on setup data entered using an operating unit for said image processing apparatus or setup data entered using an external device connected to said image processing apparatus, said acquisition method selection means designates required setup data by using said acquisition method employed to obtain said update data.
17. An image processing apparatus comprising:
data storage means for storing application data, concerning the usage of said image processing apparatus, so that rewriting of said application data is enabled;
control means for controlling the operation of said image processing apparatus based on said application data stored in said data storage means;
data acquisition means for accessing a server that stores application data used for updating as update data, and for obtaining said update data; and
data updating means for rewriting said application data, stored in said data storage means, to provide said update data obtained by said data acquisition means,
wherein a plurality of acquisition methods are selectably prepared, in advance, and are used for the acquisition of update data.
18. An image processing apparatus comprising:
data storage means for storing application data, concerning the usage of said image processing apparatus, so that rewriting of said application data is enabled;
control means for controlling the operation of said image processing apparatus based on said application data stored in said data storage means;
data acquisition means for accessing a server that stores application data used for updating as update data, and for obtaining said update data; and
data updating means for rewriting said application data stored in said data storage means to provide said update data obtained by said data acquisition means,
wherein, when instruction information, for instructing the updating of said application data, is entered in said image processing apparatus, said data acquisition means specifies update data, stored in said server, based on, at the least, either data type information indicating the type of update data included in said instruction information or identification information, stored in said image processing apparatus, for identifying individual image processing apparatuses and for obtaining said specified update data from said server.
19. An image processing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said identification information includes one of a serial number unique to said image processing apparatus, a product name, a model name, a product version, a model version or an application data version.
20. An image processing apparatus comprising:
data storage means for storing application data, concerning the usage of said image processing apparatus, so that rewriting of application data is enabled;
control means for controlling the operation of said image processing apparatus, based on said application data stored in said data storage means;
data acquisition means for accessing a server that stores application data used for updating as update data, and for obtaining said update data;
data updating means for rewriting said application data, stored in said data storage means, to provide said update data obtained by said data acquisition means;
validity condition setup means for setting a condition, for a validity term or a validity limit, under which said application data is updated by said data updating means; and
inhibiting means for inhibiting, when said condition set by said validity condition setup means is not satisfied, the operation of said data updating means for updating said application data.
21. An image processing apparatus comprising:
data storage means for storing application data, concerning the usage of said image processing apparatus, so that rewriting of said application data is enabled;
control means for controlling the operation of said image processing apparatus based on said application data stored in said data storage means;
data acquisition means for accessing a server that stores, as update data, application data used for updating, and obtaining said update data;
data updating means for rewriting said application data, stored in said data storage means, to provide said update data obtained by said data acquisition means;
validity condition setup means for setting a condition, for a validity term or a validity limit, under which said application data is updated by said data updating means; and
inhibiting means for inhibiting, when said condition set by said validity condition setup means is not satisfied, the operation of said data acquisition means for obtaining said application data.
22. An image processing apparatus according to claim 20, further comprising:
instruction error notification means for issuing, when said instruction information entered in said image processing apparatus for instructing the updating of said application data does not satisfy said condition designated by said validity condition setup means, a notification provided for a transmission source of said instruction information to the effect that said instruction information does not satisfy said condition for said validity term or said validity limit.
23. An image processing apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said validity condition setup means designates said condition, for said validity term or said validity limit, based on validity information for said validity term or said validity limit that is included in said instruction information, or in accordance with an instruction received from an external device connected to said image processing apparatus or an instruction entered at an operating unit of said image processing apparatus.
24. A data processing apparatus, which transmits, to an image processing apparatus that stores application data that concerns the usage of said image processing apparatus and that is to be rewritten, instruction information instructing the acquisition, from a server, of update data for said application and the rewriting of said application using said update data,
wherein validity data designating a condition for a validity term or a validity limit, for obtaining said update data or for updating said application data, are added to said instruction information and are transmitted to said image processing apparatus.
25. An image processing apparatus comprising:
data storage means for storing application data, concerning the usage of said image processing apparatus, so that rewriting of said application data is enabled;
control means for controlling the operation of said image processing apparatus based on said application data stored in said data storage means;
data acquisition means for accessing a server that stores application data used for updating as update data, and for obtaining said update data; and
data updating means for rewriting said application data stored in said data storage means using said update data obtained by said data acquisition means,
wherein, upon receiving an instruction to obtain test data for a communication test, said data acquisition means accesses said server in which test data are stored and obtains said test data from said server.
26. An image processing apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising:
error detection means for, when said test data are obtained by said data acquisition means, detecting an error that occurred up until said test data were obtained, or an error in said obtained test data; and
communication error notification means for transmitting notification of said error detected by said error detection means.
27. A data processing apparatus, which transmits, to an image processing apparatus that stores application data, concerning the usage of said image processing apparatus, that is to be rewritten, instruction information instructing the acquisition from a server of update data for said application, and the rewriting of said application using said update data, comprising:
setup instruction means for instructing said image processing apparatus to instruct the setup of an acquisition method for obtaining said update data; and
data acquisition instruction means for instructing said image processing apparatus to obtain test data for a communication test.
28. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, which inhibits said data acquisition means from obtaining said update data, or said data updating means from updating said application data, while said image processing apparatus is performing another process.