Patent ID: 8581715

Claim:
An emergency reporting apparatus including an emergency signal outputting part that outputs an emergency signal when a vehicle is in an emergency status and conducting an emergency report with respect to the outside based on the emergency signal output by the emergency signal outputting part, the emergency reporting apparatus comprising: a logic circuit part that stores the emergency signal output by the emergency signal outputting part with a logic circuit; and a non-volatile storing part that stores the emergency signal output by the emergency signal outputting part with a non-volatile memory; wherein the logic circuit is a logic IC that is operable at a low voltage and that stores the emergency signal status when a central processing unit of the emergency reporting apparatus is not operational; wherein the low voltage is lower than a least operation voltage that is necessary for operating the central processing unit of the emergency reporting apparatus; wherein the central processing unit controls writing of the emergency signal to the non-volatile storing part when a voltage supplied to the central processing unit is above the operation voltage of the central processing unit, based on the availability of the emergency signal from the emergency signal outputting part or the logic circuit; wherein the central processing unit is configured to determine whether the storing of the emergency signal in the non-volatile memory is completed by the non-volatile storing part; and wherein the logic circuit part, the central processing unit and the non-volatile storing part are all included in an emergency reporting electronic control unit of the emergency reporting apparatus, the emergency reporting apparatus further comprising: a communication apparatus connected to the emergency reporting electronic control unit and configured to report the emergency status using the stored emergency signal stored in the non-volatile storing part in a case where the central processing unit determines that the storing of the emergency signal is completed by the non-volatile storing part, even at a time when the central processing unit is reset.