Vehicle remote operation device and method

• US 20060197677A1
• Filed: 02/21/2006
• Published: 09/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Taki, Naoki, Watanabe, Atsushi
• Granted Patent: US 7,613,551 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/13.24
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2009 Antitheft state indicator
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2018 Central base unlocks or authorises unlocking
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2036 by using the door logic and door and engine unlock means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5973 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5978 With switch

Abstract

A vehicle remote operation device of optimized fail-safe function is disclosed that directs a vehicle to execute operations in response to a remote operation request made by a user of the vehicle. The vehicle remote operation device has a fail-safe control unit that changes a fail-safe criterion in execution of the remote operation according to a distance between the user and the vehicle. Preferably, the fail-safe criterion is moderated when the distance between the user and the vehicle is short. Alternatively, instead of measuring the distance between the user and the vehicle, a Smart Entry System is used to detect a key carried by the user to determine whether the user is near the vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle remote operation device for directing a vehicle to execute operations in response to a remote operation request made by a user of the vehicle, comprising:

a fail-safe control unit that changes a fail-safe criterion in execution of the remote operation according to a distance between the user and the vehicle.

2. The vehicle remote operation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fail-safe criterion is moderated when the distance between the user and the vehicle is short.

3. The vehicle remote operation device as claimed in claim 2, wherein

the distance between the user and the vehicle is divided into a plurality of levels according to the length of the distance, and

a plurality of fail-safe operations are assigned for the levels so that a reduced number of the fail-safe operations are executed when the distance between the user and the vehicle is short.

4. The vehicle remote operation device as claimed in claim 3, wherein

the distance between the user and the vehicle is divided into at least two levels according to whether the vehicle is within a visual range of the user, the user being able to confirm conditions of the vehicle when the vehicle is within the visual range of the user;

and

when the vehicle is within the visual range of the user, the fail-safe operations do not include notifying the user of an operation result of the remote operation.

5. The vehicle remote operation device as claimed in claim 3, wherein

the distance between the user and the vehicle is divided into at least two levels according to whether the vehicle is within a reach of the user'"'"'s arm;

and

when the vehicle is within the reach of the user'"'"'s arm, the fail-safe operations do not include condition confirmation before the remote operation.

6. The vehicle remote operation device as claimed in claim 3, wherein

the distance between the user and the vehicle is divided into at least two levels according to whether the user is inside the vehicle;

and

when the user is inside the vehicle, the fail-safe operations do not include using a safety operation pattern in the execution of the remote operation.

7. The vehicle remote operation device as claimed in claim 3, wherein even at the level having the least number of the fail-safe operations, the fail-safe operations include sending a reminder message before the execution of the remote operation.

8. The vehicle remote operation device as claimed in claim 3, wherein even at the level having the least number of the fail-safe operations, when performing the remote operation to close a window of the vehicle, the fail-safe operations include directing a window trapping protection mechanism to operate.

9. The vehicle remote operation device as claimed in claim 3, wherein

the distance between the user and the vehicle is divided according to the length of the distance into a first level, a second level, a third level, and a fourth level in ascending order of the length,

the first level is defined as when the user is inside the vehicle,

the second level is defined as when the vehicle is within the reach of the user'"'"'s arm,

the third level is defined as when the vehicle is within the visual range of the user,

the fourth level is defined as when the distance between the user and the vehicle is not classified into one of the first level, the second level, and the third level;

when the distance between the user and the vehicle is classified into the fourth level, the fail-safe operations include sending a reminder message before the execution of the remote operation, using a safety operation pattern in the execution of the remote operation, condition confirmation before the execution of the remote operation, and notifying the user of an operation result of the remote operation;

when the distance between the user and the vehicle is classified into the third level, the fail-safe operations include sending a reminder message before the execution of the remote operation, using a safety operation pattern in the execution of the remote operation, and condition confirmation before the execution of the remote operation;

when the distance between the user and the vehicle is classified into the second level, the fail-safe operations include sending a reminder message before the execution of the remote operation, and using a safety operation pattern in the execution of the remote operation;

when the distance between the user and the vehicle is classified into the first level, the fail-safe operations include sending a reminder message before the execution of the remote operation; and

when performing the remote operation to close a window of the vehicle, the fail-safe operations include directing the window trapping protection mechanism to operate regardless of the level of the distance.

10. The vehicle remote operation device as claimed in claim 3, wherein

the distance between the user and the vehicle is divided into at least two of the levels according to whether a key is detected by a Smart Entry System, and

the number of the fail-safe operations when the key is detected is smaller than the number of the fail-safe operations when the key is not detected.

11. The vehicle remote operation device as claimed in claim 10, wherein when the key is detected by the Smart Entry System, the fail-safe operations do not include notifying the user of an operation result of the remote operation.

12. The vehicle remote operation device as claimed in claim 10, wherein when the key is detected by the Smart Entry System, the fail-safe operations do not include condition confirmation before the remote operation.

13. The vehicle remote operation device as claimed in claim 10, wherein even when the key is detected by the Smart Entry System, the fail-safe operations include sending a reminder message before the execution of the remote operation.

14. The vehicle remote operation device as claimed in claim 10, wherein even when the key is detected by the Smart Entry System, when performing the remote operation to close a window of the vehicle, the fail-safe operations include directing a window trapping protection mechanism to operate.

15. The vehicle remote operation device as claimed in claim 10, wherein

when the key is not detected by the Smart Entry System, the fail-safe operations include sending a reminder message before the execution of the remote operation, using a safety operation pattern in the execution of the remote operation, condition confirmation before the execution of the remote operation, and notifying the user of an operation result of the remote operation;

when the key is detected by the Smart Entry System, the fail-safe operations include sending a reminder message before the execution of the remote operation, and using a safety operation pattern in the execution of the remote operation; and

the fail-safe operations include directing a window trapping protection mechanism to operate when performing the remote operation to close a window of the vehicle no matter whether the key is detected.

16. A vehicle remote operation method for directing a vehicle to execute operations in response to a remote operation request made by a user of the vehicle, comprising a step of:

changing a fail-safe criterion in execution of the remote operation according to a distance between the user and the vehicle.