Automobile multiple communication system operable under low power consumption

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention has been made in an attempt to solve the above-described problems, and therefore, an object is to provide an automobile multiplex communication system capable of realizing low power consumption within child stations.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an automobile multiplex communication system capable of firmly acquiring various information issued from child stations by parent stations.
To achieve these objects and other features, an automobile multiple communication system (100), according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: a parent station (PS) having at least judging means (48) for judging whether or not a present communication mode of said multiplex communication system (100) corresponds to one of a normal communication mode and a low-power-consumption mode; at least one child station (CS) including: detection means (1:34) for detecting that a supply of power to said child station (CS) is commenced, thereby producing a power-supply detection signal, and compulsorily condition changing means (3) for compulsorily changing a present operation condition of said child station (CS) into a low-power-consumption operation condition in response to said power-supply detection signal; and a communication line (LL) for mutually connecting said parent station (PS) and said child station (CS), whereby when said judging means (43) judges that the present communication mode of the multiplex communication system (100) corresponds to said normal communication mode, said judging means (43) sets operation conditions of said child station (CS) and said parent station (PS) to normal operation conditions so as to perform a communication between said child station (CS) and said parent station (PS), and when said judging means (43) judges that the present communication mode of the multiplex communication system (100) corresponds to said low-power-consumption communication mode, said judging means (43) transmits to said child station (CS), an instruction for changing the present operation condition of said child station (CS) into the low-power-consumption operation condition, thereby bringing both of said child station (CS) and said parent station (PS) into the low-power-consumption operations in addition to said compulsorily condition changing operation by said compulsorily condition changing means (3)