Communication device and distance calculation system

• US 20060083406A1
• Filed: 10/07/2005
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries LLC (ON Semiconductor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Iketani, Akira, Ishimura, Shizuka
• Granted Patent: US 7,466,219 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/106
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/84 for distance determination by phase measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00555 comprising means to detect or avoid relay attacks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/61 Signal comprising different frequencies, e.g. frequency hopping
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/63 Comprising locating means for detecting the position of the data carrier, i.e. within the vehicle or within a certain distance from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

A communication device (e.g., an vehicle-mounted device) comprises a transmitter that transmits a distance-calculation signal with which to calculate a distance to a partner communication device (e.g., a mobile device), a detector that receives the distance-calculation signal returned from the partner communication device and detects a phase difference between the distance-calculation signal when transmitted and the distance-calculation signal when received, and a calculator that calculates the distance to the partner communication device based on the phase difference detected by the detector.

Claims

1. A communication device comprising:

a transmitter that transmits a distance-calculation signal with which to calculate a distance to a partner communication device;

a detector that receives the distance-calculation signal returned from the partner communication device and detects a phase difference between the distance-calculation signal when transmitted and the distance-calculation signal when received; and

a calculator that calculates the distance to the partner communication device based on the phase difference detected by the detector.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a modulator that modulates the distance-calculation signal with a carrier wave of a first frequency; and

a demodulator that demodulates the distance-calculation signal that has been modulated with a carrier wave of a second frequency higher than the first frequency and returned by the partner communication device after received from the modulator and demodulated by the partner communication device.

3. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a determining section that determines whether the distance to the partner communication device calculated by the calculator is below a predetermined distance,

wherein when the determining section determines that the distance to the partner communication device calculated by the calculator is at or above the predetermined distance, the communication device stops communication with the partner communication device on the basis of the determining result.

4. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a generator that generates the distance-calculation signal,

wherein the transmitter repeatedly transmits the distance-calculation signal generated by the generator until receiving the distance-calculation signal returned from the partner communication device, and

wherein each predetermined number of times that the distance-calculation signal is generated, the generator changes a pattern of the distance-calculation signal.

5. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein the modulator ASK-modulates the distance-calculation signal with the carrier wave of the first frequency, and

wherein the demodulator demodulates the distance-calculation signal that has been FSK-modulated with the carrier wave of the second frequency and returned by the partner communication device.

6. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a timer that is reset each time the transmitter transmits the distance-calculation signal and measures a time period until the distance-calculation signal returned by the partner communication device is received;

a counter that is reset each time the timer is reset and counts clocks of a predetermined frequency for the phase difference to be detected by the detector; and

a storage that stores distance information based on which the calculator calculates the distance to the partner communication device from the count of the counter,

wherein the detector detects the time period measured by the timer as the phase difference between the distance-calculation signal when transmitted and the distance-calculation signal when received, and

wherein the calculator reads out a piece of the distance information corresponding to the count of the counter counting clocks of the predetermined frequency for the phase difference from the storage and calculates the distance to the partner communication device from the distance information piece.

7. The communication device according to claim 3, which is provided in a vehicle and, when the determining section determines that the distance to the partner communication device calculated by the calculator is below the predetermined distance, supplies a controller controlling unlock/lock of a door of the vehicle with a signal to unlock the door indicating the determining result, and

when the determining section determines that the distance to the partner communication device calculated by the calculator is at or above the predetermined distance, supplies the controller with a signal to lock the door indicating the determining result.

8. A communication device capable of communicating with a partner communication device which transmits a distance-calculation signal with which to calculate a distance to the communication device, receives the distance-calculation signal returned, detects a phase difference between the distance-calculation signal when transmitted and the distance-calculation signal when received, and calculates the distance to the communication device based on the phase difference, the communication device comprising

a send-back section that returns the distance-calculation signal transmitted by the partner communication device.

9. The communication device according to claim 8, further comprising:

a demodulator that demodulates the distance-calculation signal modulated with a carrier wave of a first frequency and transmitted from the partner communication device; and

a modulator that modulates the distance-calculation signal demodulated by the demodulator, with a carrier wave of a second frequency higher than the first frequency.

10. The communication device according to claim 8, further comprising:

a switch that puts the send-back section in an operational state so as to return the distance-calculation signal,

wherein the switch puts the send-back section in the operational state according to a switching signal from the partner communication device to put the send-back section in the operational state.

11. The communication device according to claim 9, wherein the demodulator demodulates the distance-calculation signal that has been ASK-modulated with the carrier wave of the first frequency and transmitted by the partner communication device, and

wherein the modulator FSK-modulates the distance-calculation signal demodulated by the demodulator, with the carrier wave of the second frequency.

12. The communication device according to claim 8, further comprising:

an alarm that issues an alarm,

wherein the alarm issues an alarm according to an alarm signal from the partner communication device to cause the alarm to issue an alarm.

13. A distance calculation system which calculates a distance between first and second communication devices, wherein the first communication device comprises:

a transmitter that transmits a distance-calculation signal with which to calculate a distance to the second communication device;

a detector that receives the distance-calculation signal returned from the second communication device and detects a phase difference between the distance-calculation signal when transmitted and the distance-calculation signal when received; and

a calculator that calculates the distance to the second communication device based on the phase difference detected by the detector, and

wherein the second communication device comprises a send-back section that returns the distance-calculation signal transmitted by the first communication device.

14. The distance calculation system according to claim 13, wherein the first communication device further comprises:

a first modulator that modulates the distance-calculation signal with a carrier wave of a first frequency; and

a first demodulator that demodulates the distance-calculation signal that has been modulated with a carrier wave of a second frequency higher than the first frequency and returned by the second communication device, and

wherein the second communication device further comprises

a second demodulator that demodulates the distance-calculation signal modulated by the first modulator and transmitted by the first communication device; and

a second modulator that modulates the distance-calculation signal demodulated by the second demodulator with the carrier wave of the second frequency.

15. The distance calculation system according to claim 13, wherein the first communication device further comprises:

a determining section that determines whether the distance between the first and second communication devices calculated by the calculator is below a predetermined distance,

wherein when the determining section determines that the distance between the first and second communication devices calculated by the calculator is at or above the predetermined distance, the first communication device stops communication with the second communication device on the basis of the determining result.

16. The distance calculation system according to claim 13, wherein the second communication device further comprises:

a switch that puts the send-back section in an operational state to return the distance-calculation signal,

wherein the first communication device transmits a switching signal to put the send-back section in the operational state so that the calculator calculates the distance to the second communication device, and the switch puts the send-back section in the operational state according to the switching signal from the first communication device.

17. The distance calculation system according to claim 13, wherein the first communication device further comprises:

a generator that generates the distance-calculation signal,

wherein the transmitter repeatedly transmits the distance-calculation signal generated by the generator until the first communication device receives the distance-calculation signal returned from the second communication device, and

wherein each predetermined number of times that the distance-calculation signal is generated, the generator changes a pattern of the distance-calculation signal.

18. The distance calculation system according to claim 14,

wherein the first modulator ASK-modulates the distance-calculation signal with the carrier wave of the first frequency, and the second demodulator demodulates the distance-calculation signal ASK-modulated by the first modulator and transmitted by the first communication device, and

wherein the second modulator FSK-modulates the distance-calculation signal demodulated by the second demodulator with the carrier wave of the second frequency, and the first demodulator demodulates the distance-calculation signal FSK-modulated by the second modulator and returned by the second communication device.

19. The distance calculation system according to claim 14, wherein in order to perform communication between the first and second communication devices using spread spectrum, the first modulator first-order-modulates the distance-calculation signal with the carrier wave of the first frequency, and then second-order-modulates or spreads the distance-calculation signal first-order-modulated with the carrier wave of the first frequency, and the second demodulator despreads the distance-calculation signal second-order-modulated or spread by the first modulator and transmitted by the first communication device thereby demodulating the signal, and

wherein the second modulator first-order-modulates the distance-calculation signal demodulated by dispreading by the second demodulator with the carrier wave of the second frequency, and then second-order-modulates or spreads the distance-calculation signal first-order-modulated with the carrier wave of the second frequency, and the first demodulator despreads the distance-calculation signal second-order-modulated or spread by the second modulator and returned by the second communication device thereby demodulating the signal.

20. The distance calculation system according to claim 13, wherein the first communication device further comprises:

a timer that is reset each time the transmitter transmits the distance-calculation signal and measures a time period until the first communication device receives the distance-calculation signal returned by the second communication device;

a counter that is reset each time the timer is reset and counts clocks of a predetermined frequency for the phase difference to be detected by the detector; and

a storage that stores information based on which the calculator calculates the distance between the first and second communication devices from the count of the counter,

wherein the detector detects the time period measured by the timer as the phase difference between the distance-calculation signal when transmitted and the distance-calculation signal when received, and

wherein the calculator calculates the distance between the first and second communication devices based on the count of the counter counting clocks of the predetermined frequency for the phase difference and the information stored in the storage.

21. The distance calculation system according to claim 15, wherein the first communication device is provided in a vehicle and, when the determining section determines that the distance between the first and second communication devices calculated by the calculator is below the predetermined distance, supplies a controller controlling unlock/lock of a door of the vehicle with a signal to unlock the door indicating the determining result, and

when the determining section determines that the distance between the first and second communication devices calculated by the calculator is at or above the predetermined distance, supplies the controller with a signal to lock the door indicating the determining result.

22. The distance calculation system according to claim 15, wherein the second communication device further comprises an alarm that issues an alarm,

wherein the first communication device transmits an alarm signal to cause the alarm to issue an alarm on the basis of the result of the determining section determining that the distance between the first and second communication devices calculated by the calculator is at or above the predetermined distance, and

wherein the alarm issues an alarm according to the alarm signal from the first communication device.