Mobile electronic key device and electronic key system

• US 10,315,623 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2016
• Issued: 06/11/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Inventors: Iwashita, Hiroaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseoph H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Point, Rufus C
• Application Number:
  US15/737,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20180170313A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,086 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/245 where the antenna reception area plays a role
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/246 characterised by the challenge triggering
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 49/00 Electric permutation locks; Circuits therefor ; Mechanical aspects of electronic locks; Mechanical keys therefor arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; mechanisms including electronic locks actuated by nonmechanical keys such as passive and active electrical keys and other data carriers G07C9/00, G07F7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00365 in combination with a wake-up circuit
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00388 code verification carried out according to the challenge/response method
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

A portable electronic key device starts up only when movement of the portable electronic key device is present on the basis of detection signal Sac of a motion detector. A communication monitoring unit monitors whether or not radio waves Swk periodically transmitted from a vehicle are received. When there is no movement of the portable electronic key device but the portable electronic key device has received or is receiving radio waves from the vehicle, an operation controller maintains the start-up state of the portable electronic key device.

Claims

1. A portable electronic key device that wirelessly communicates with a lock side communication device to perform verification of an electronic key ID, the portable electronic key device comprising:

a motion detector that detects movement of the portable electronic key device;

a key function controller that monitors the movement of the portable electronic key device on the basis of a detection signal of the motion detector and enables a predetermined function of the portable electronic key device to permit a predetermined operation when the movement is detected;

a communication monitor that monitors, when the predetermined function of the portable electronic key device is enabled, whether or not the portable electronic key device is receiving or capable of receiving a radio wave regularly or irregularly transmitted from the lock side communication device;

an operation controller that determines whether or not the movement of the portable electronic key device is detected after start-up of the portable electronic key device, and maintains the predetermined function of the portable electronic key device enabled in a period in which the movement of the portable electronic key device after the start-up is not detected but the portable electronic key device is capable of receiving the radio wave, and

a timer that starts counting when the operation controller determines that the movement of the portable electronic key device is not detected after the start-up, and measures an elapsed time during which the movement of the portable electronic key device is not detected and during which the radio wave is not received,

wherein the operation controller disables the predetermined function of the portable electronic key device when a counting value of the timer indicating the elapsed time becomes a threshold value or more.

2. The portable electronic key device according to claim 1,

wherein the radio wave is transmitted through ID verification communication in which the portable electronic key device responds upon the communication initiated from the lock side communication device and confirms validity/invalidity of the electronic key ID.

3. The portable electronic key device according to claim 2,

wherein the radio wave includes a wake signal for starting up the portable electronic key device at the time of starting the ID verification communication between the portable electronic key device and the lock side communication device.

4. The portable electronic key device according to claim 1,

wherein the radio wave has intermittent transmission information indicating a transmission interval of the radio wave, and wherein the communication monitor changes the threshold value of the timer on the basis of the intermittent transmission information.

5. The portable electronic key device according to claim 1,

wherein the predetermined function includes a communication function for performing verification of the electronic key ID.

6. An electronic key system comprising:

a lock side communication device; and

a portable electronic key device, wherein the portable electronic key device and the lock side communication device wirelessly communicate to perform verification of an electronic key ID,

wherein the portable electronic key device includes

a motion detector that detects movement of the portable electronic key device;

a key function controller that monitors the movement of the portable electronic key device on the basis of a detection signal of the motion detector and enables a predetermined function of the portable electronic key device to permit a predetermined operation when the movement is detected;

a communication monitor that monitors, when the predetermined function of the portable electronic key device is enabled, whether or not the portable electronic key device is receiving or capable of receiving a radio wave regularly or irregularly transmitted from the lock side communication device;

an operation controller that determines whether or not the movement of the portable electronic key device is detected after start-up of the portable electronic key device, and maintains the predetermined function of the portable electronic key device enabled in a period in which the movement of the portable electronic key device after start-up is not detected but the portable electronic key device is capable of receiving the radio wave, and

a timer that starts counting when the operation controller determines that the movement of the portable electronic key device is not detected after the start-up, and measures an elapsed time during which the movement of the portable electronic key device is not detected and during which the radio wave is not received,

wherein the operation controller disables the predetermined function of the portable electronic key device when a counting value of the timer indicating the elapsed time becomes a threshold value or more.