In-vehicle equipment remote control system

• US 20040196141A1
• Filed: 03/09/2004
• Published: 10/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Yoshida, Koji, Kumazaki, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,154,376 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.63
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00022 using wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/46 for ICE-powered road vehicles

Abstract

In a security ECU, a CPU instructs a request generation circuit to generate a request signal in the normal operation mode. Thereafter, the CPU shifts from the normal operation mode to the low-power consumption mode. The request generation circuit utilizes clock signals generated by a clock signal generation circuit and continues operation even after the CPU shifts to the low-power consumption mode. Thus, the time for which the CPU operates in the normal operation mode can be reduced, and the power consumption of the entire system is thereby reduced.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle equipment remote control system comprising:

a portable unit which receives a request signal and transmits a response signal in response to the request signal; and

a controlling means mounted in a vehicle for periodically transmitting the request signal in a predetermined area around the vehicle, and controlling an operation of in-vehicle equipment, when triggered by reception of the response signal from the portable unit,

wherein the controlling means includes

a request signal generation circuit for generating the request signal,

a modulation and transmission circuit for modulating and transmitting the request signal generated by the request signal generation circuit,

a clock signal generation circuit for generating clock signals used to modulate the request signal in the modulation and transmission circuit, and

a microcomputer for instructing at least the request signal generation circuit to generate the request signal,

wherein the microcomputer has a normal operation mode and a low-power consumption mode, instructs the request signal generation circuit to generate the request signal in the normal operation mode, and thereafter shifts from the normal operation mode to the low-power consumption mode, and

wherein the request signal generation circuit utilizes the clock signals generated by the clock signal generation circuit and continues operation thereof with the clock signals even after the microcomputer shifts to the low-power consumption mode.

2. The in-vehicle equipment remote control system according to claim 1,

wherein the microcomputer starts the clock signal generation circuit by time when the microcomputer instructs the request signal generation circuit to generate the request signal.

3. The in-vehicle equipment remote control system according to claim 2,

wherein the microcomputer starts the clock signal generation circuit in the low-power consumption mode before the microcomputer starts operation thereof in the normal operation mode.

4. The in-vehicle equipment remote control system according to claim 2,

wherein the microcomputer stops the operation of the clock signal generation circuit in the low-power consumption mode when a predetermined time has passed after the microcomputer starts the clock signal generation circuit.

5. The in-vehicle equipment remote control system according to claim 1,

wherein the controlling means further includes

a receiver circuit for receiving the response signal from the portable unit, and

a determination circuit for determining whether the response signal received by the receiver circuit corresponds to a predetermined response signal, and

wherein the determination circuit operates based on the clock signals generated by the clock signal generation circuit when the microcomputer is in the low-power consumption mode, and outputs the start signal to the microcomputer to change the operation mode of the microcomputer from the low-power consumption mode to the normal operation mode when the response signal received by the receiver circuit corresponds to the predetermined response signal.

6. The in-vehicle equipment remote control system according to claim 5,

wherein the receiver circuit is started by the microcomputer in synchronization with start of the clock signal generation circuit and operates based on the clock signals generated by the clock signal generation circuit, when the microcomputer starts the clock signal generation circuit in the low-power consumption mode before the microcomputer starts operation in the normal operation mode.

7. The in-vehicle equipment remote control system according to claim 5,

wherein the microcomputer communicates with the portable unit to acquire an ID code from the portable unit after being started by the determination circuit, and controls and brings the in-vehicle equipment into a predetermined state when it is confirmed that the ID code and a stored code satisfy predetermined relation.

8. An in-vehicle equipment remote control system comprising:

a portable unit which receives a request signal and transmits a response signal in response to the request signal; and

a controlling means mounted in a vehicle for periodically transmitting the request signal in a predetermined area around the vehicle, and controlling operation of in-vehicle equipment, when triggered by reception of the response signal from the portable unit,

wherein the controlling means includes,

a modulation and transmission circuit for modulating and transmitting the request signal,

a clock signal generation circuit for generating clock signals used to modulate the request signal in the modulation and transmission circuit,

a receiver circuit for receiving the response signal from the portable unit,

a determination circuit for determining whether the response signal received by the receiver circuit corresponds to a predetermined response signal, and

a microcomputer for generating a control signal for controlling the operation of at least the in-vehicle equipment,

wherein the microcomputer has a normal operation mode and a low-power consumption mode, and is brought into the low-power consumption mode when the response signal is received, and

wherein the determination circuit operates based on the clock signals generated by the clock signal generation circuit, and outputs a start signal to the microcomputer to change the operation mode of the microcomputer from the low-power consumption mode to the normal operation mode when the response signal received by the receiver circuit corresponds to a predetermined response signal.

9. The in-vehicle equipment remote control system according to claim 8,

wherein the microcomputer communicates with the portable unit to acquire an ID code from the portable unit after being started by the determination circuit, and controls and brings the in-vehicle equipment into a predetermined state when it is confirmed that the ID code and a stored code satisfy a predetermined relation.

10. The in-vehicle equipment remote control system according to claim 8,

wherein the controlling means further includes

a request signal generation circuit for generating and supplying the request signal to the modulation and transmission circuit,

wherein the microcomputer is repeatedly brought into the normal operation mode and the low-power consumption mode in a predetermined cycle, instructs the request signal generation circuit to generate the request signal in the normal operation mode, and thereafter shifts to the low-power consumption mode,

wherein the request signal generation circuit continues operation thereof based on the clock signals generated by the clock signal generation circuit, and

wherein the microcomputer is kept in the low-power consumption mode until a next request signal generation unless the start signal is supplied from the determination circuit.

11. The in-vehicle equipment remote control system according to claim 10,

wherein the microcomputer starts the clock signal generation circuit by time when the microcomputer instructs the request signal generation circuit to generate the request signal.

12. The in-vehicle equipment remote control system according to claim 11,

wherein the microcomputer starts the clock signal generation circuit in the low-power consumption mode before the microcomputer starts operation in the normal operation mode.

13. The in-vehicle equipment remote control system according to claim 11,

wherein the microcomputer stops operation of the clock signal generation circuit in the low-power consumption mode when a predetermined time has passed after the microcomputer starts the clock signal generation circuit.

14. The in-vehicle equipment remote control system according to claim 12,

wherein the receiver circuit is started by the microcomputer in synchronization with start of the clock signal generation circuit and operates based on the clock signals generated by the clock signal generation circuit, when the microcomputer starts the clock signal generation circuit in the low-power consumption mode before the microcomputer starts operation in the normal operation mode.

15. An in-vehicle equipment remote control system comprising:

a portable unit for receiving a request signal and transmitting a response signal in response to the request signal; and

a controlling means mounted in a vehicle for periodically transmitting the request signal in a predetermined area around the vehicle, and controlling the operation of in-vehicle equipment, when triggered by reception of the response signal from the portable unit,

wherein the controlling means includes

a request signal generation circuit for generating the request signal,

a modulation and transmission circuit for modulating and transmitting the request signal generated by the request signal generation circuit,

a clock signal generation circuit for generating clock signals used to modulate the request signal in the modulation and transmission circuit,

a receiver circuit for receiving the response signal from the portable unit,

a determination circuit for determining whether the response signal received by the receiver circuit corresponds to a predetermined response signal, and

a microcomputer for instructing at least the request signal generation circuit to generate the request signal, and generating a control signal for controlling the operation of the in-vehicle equipment,

wherein the microcomputer has a normal operation mode and a low-power consumption mode, and instructs the request signal generation circuit to generate the request signal in the normal operation mode, and thereafter shifts from the normal operation mode to the low-power consumption mode,

wherein the request signal generation circuit and the determination circuit operate based on the clock signals generated by the clock signal generation circuit,

wherein the receiver circuit receives the response signal generated by the request signal generation circuit according to the request signal, and

wherein the determination circuit outputs a start signal to the microcomputer to change an operation mode of the microcomputer from the low-power consumption mode to the normal operation mode when the determination circuit determines that the response signal corresponds to the predetermined response signal.

16. The in-vehicle equipment remote control system according to claim 15,

wherein the microcomputer communicates with the portable unit to acquire an ID code from the portable unit after started by the determination circuit, and controls and brings the in-vehicle equipment into a predetermined state when the ID code and a stored code satisfy predetermined relation.

17. The in-vehicle equipment remote control system according to claim 15,

wherein the microcomputer starts the clock signal generation circuit by time the microcomputer instructs the request signal generation circuit to generate the request signal.

18. The in-vehicle equipment remote control system according to claim 17,

wherein the microcomputer starts the clock signal generation circuit in the low-power consumption mode before the microcomputer starts operation thereof in the normal operation mode.

19. The in-vehicle equipment remote control system according to claim 17,

wherein the microcomputer stops the operation of the clock signal generation circuit in the low-power consumption mode when a predetermined time has passed after the microcomputer starts the clock signal generation circuit.

20. The in-vehicle equipment remote control system according to claim 18,

wherein the receiver circuit is started by the microcomputer in synchronization with start of the clock signal generation circuit and operates based on the clock signals generated by the clock signal generation circuit, when the microcomputer starts the clock signal generation circuit in the low-power consumption mode before the microcomputer starts the operation in the normal operation mode.