In-vehicle communication system, on-board terminal, portable device and in-vehicle communication method

• US 20070038344A1
• Filed: 06/14/2006
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Harumoto, Satoshi, Oota, Mitsuru, Matsuda, Yuusaku, Nomura, Tetsuya, Seike, Yasushi
• Granted Patent: US 7,844,377 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29
• 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 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00357 and the lock having more than one limited data transmission ranges
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/62 Comprising means for indicating the status of the lock
• 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

Current position of a vehicle and current time are acquired. A user recognizing unit recognizes a user. A pattern recognizing unit detects location of a portable device and movement thereof. Operation state of an engine is acquired from an engine control mechanism. Based on the information, processes are performed such as switching communication stand-by mode of the portable device to active stand-by mode, notifying the portable device of a transition of an on-board terminal to automatic locking mode, preventing needless unlocking and locking of doors, and setting warning mode of the portable device.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle communication system comprising:

an on-board terminal arranged on a vehicle;

a portable device that can be inside or outside of the vehicle;

an information acquiring unit that acquires vehicle information indicative of a state of the vehicle; and

an operation mode changing unit that changes an operation mode of at least one of the portable device and the on-board terminal based on the vehicle information.

2. The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle information includes position information indicative of current position of the vehicle.

3. The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 2, wherein the operation mode changing unit changes a communication stand-by mode of the portable device based on the position information.

4. The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 3, wherein the operation mode changing unit switches between a passive stand-by mode in which the portable device transmits a response signal when a response request from the on-board terminal is received, and an active stand-by mode in which the portable device transmits a notification signal to the on-board terminal at regular intervals.

5. The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 4, wherein the operation mode changing unit switches the portable device to the active stand-by mode when the position information indicates that the current position of the vehicle is a store.

6. The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 3, wherein each of the on-board terminal and the portable device includes

an inductive communication unit that cause the on-board terminal and the portable device to communicate with each other based on inductive communication;

and

a radio communication unit that cause the on-board terminal and the portable device to communicate with each other based on radio communication.

7. The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 4, wherein the on-board terminal performs a boarding preparation process of preparing for boarding of a person upon receiving a notification signal from the portable device.

8. The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 6, wherein the on-board terminal performs a boarding preparation process of preparing for boarding of a person upon receiving a notification signal from the portable device.

9. The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 2, further comprising a lock control unit that at least one of locks and unlocks the vehicle.

10. The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 9, wherein the operation mode changing unit transitions the lock control unit to automatic lock mode based on a distance between the on-board terminal and the portable device and notifies the portable device of the transition in the operation mode.

11. The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 9, wherein the operation mode changing unit changes the unlocking operation mode of the lock control unit when the position information indicates that the current location of the vehicle is the person'"'"'s home.

12. The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 11, wherein the on-board terminal includes

a portable device detecting unit that detects whether the portable device is approaching the vehicle;

and

a person detecting unit that detects whether a person is onboard the vehicle, and

when the portable device detecting unit detects that the portable device is approaching the vehicle and the person detecting unit detects that a person is not onboard the vehicle, the unlocking operation mode performs a learning process based on information regarding the approach of the portable device and makes the conditions of unlocking stricter.

13. The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 12, wherein portable device detecting unit detects whether the portable device is approaching the vehicle based on at least one of current time, approach direction of the portable device, and information related to possessor of the portable device.

14. The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle information includes at least one of an operation state of an engine of the vehicle and lock status of a door of the vehicle.

15. The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 14, wherein the operation mode changing unit sets a warning mode of the portable device when a driver of the vehicle is detected to have exited the vehicle when at least one of the engine is running and the door lock is released.

16. The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 15, wherein the portable device gives out a warning when response requests from the on-board terminal cease while the warning mode is set.

17. An on-board terminal arranged on a vehicle and that performs bi-directional communication with a portable device that can be inside or outside of the vehicle, the on-board terminal comprising:

a position information acquisition unit that acquires position information indicative of current position of the vehicle; and

an operation mode changing unit that changes communication stand-by mode of the portable device based on the position information.

18. The on-board terminal according to claim 17, wherein the operation mode changing unit switches between a passive stand-by mode in which the portable device transmits a response signal when a response request from the on-board terminal is received, and an active stand-by mode in which the portable device transmits a notification signal to the on-board terminal at regular intervals.

19. An on-board terminal arranged on a vehicle and that performs bi-directional communication with a portable device that can be inside or outside of the vehicle, the on-board terminal comprising:

an information acquisition unit that acquires state information indicative of at least one of an operation state of an engine of the vehicle and lock status of a door of the vehicle; and

a warning mode setting unit sets a warning mode of the portable device based on the state information.

20. The on-board terminal according to claim 19, wherein the warning mode setting unit sets the warning mode of the portable device when a driver of the vehicle is detected to have exited the vehicle when at least one of the engine is running and the door lock is released.

21. A portable device that can be inside or outside of a vehicle and that performs bi-directional communication with an on-board terminal arranged on the vehicle, the portable device comprising:

a passive stand-by mode unit that transmits a response signal to the on-board terminal upon receiving a response request from the on-board terminal; and

an active stand-by mode unit that transmits a notification signal to the on-board terminal at regular intervals.

22. The portable device according to claim 21, further comprising:

an inductive communication unit that transmits signals to the on-board terminal based on inductive communication; and

a radio communication unit that receives signals from the on-board terminal based on radio communication.

23. A portable device that can be inside or outside of a vehicle and that performs bi-directional communication with an on-board terminal arranged on the vehicle, the portable device comprising:

a warning mode that is controlled and set by the on-board terminal; and

a warning output unit set the warning mode, receives signals from the on-board terminal, and outputs a warning if no signal is received from the on-board terminal while the warning mode is set.

24. A method of performing bi-directional communication between an on-board terminal arranged on a vehicle and a portable device that can be inside or outside of the vehicle, the method comprising:

acquiring vehicle information indicative of a state of the vehicle; and

changing an operation mode of at least one of the portable device and the on-board terminal based on the vehicle information acquired at the acquiring.