Vehicular control system

• US 20070290794A1
• Filed: 04/27/2007
• Published: 12/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Nakashima, Kazuhiro, Ogino, Kenichi, Teshima, Kentarou
• Granted Patent: US 7,579,938 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.64
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/403 Power supply in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

After a door of a vehicle is locked, a touch switch and a lock switch is disabled for a predetermined time period. A predetermined operation of a holder of a handheld unit to a door handle during the predetermined time period causes a device mounted in the vehicle to perform a certain function other than unlocking the door. Thus the predetermined operation solely to the door handle after the door of the vehicle is locked can serve as an instruction for the device mounted in the vehicle to execute the certain function.

Claims

1. A control system for a vehicle, the system including:

an in-vehicle system provided in the vehicle and configured to transmit a request signal; and

a handheld unit configured to return a response signal including an ID code in response to the request signal,

the in-vehicle system comprising;

a collating unit configured to perform a collation of the ID code from the handheld unit;

a lock instruction unit to be operated by a holder of the handheld unit for issuing a lock instruction to lock a door of the vehicle;

an unlock instruction unit provided in a door handle of the vehicle to be operated by the holder for issuing an unlock instruction to unlock the door when the ID code is verified in the collation performed by the collating unit;

a disabling unit to disable the unlock instruction issued by the unlock instruction unit from when the door is locked based on the lock instruction to when a predetermined time period elapses, the predetermined time period starting from when the door is locked based on the lock instruction; and

a function instruction unit configured to (i) detect a predetermined operation to the door handle by the holder while the unlock instruction is disabled and (ii) instruct a certain device in the vehicle to execute a certain function other than unlocking the door when the predetermined operation is detected.

2. The control system of claim 1, wherein

the in-vehicle system further comprises:

a polling unit to execute a polling function to transmit the request signal with predetermined time intervals when the vehicle is parked, in order to detect that the handheld unit approaches the vehicle; and

a trigger unit to execute a trigger function to issue a trigger signal for the polling unit to start transmitting the request signal when the unlock instruction unit is operated by the holder, wherein

the function instruction unit instructs the polling unit as the certain device to stop the polling function.

3. The control system of claim 2, wherein

the function instruction unit further instructs the trigger unit to stop the trigger function.

4. The control system of claim 1, further including

a plurality of handheld units including the handheld unit of claim 1, wherein

the in-vehicle system further comprises:

a handheld unit limiting unit configured to limit an effective handheld unit to one of the plurality of handheld units, the effective handheld unit being authorized to be verified in the collation of the ID code, wherein

the function instruction unit instructs the handheld unit limiting unit as the certain device to limit the effective handheld unit to the one of the plurality of handheld units.

5. The control system of claim 1, wherein

the in-vehicle system further comprises:

a detection unit to execute a first function to detect a variation in a state of the vehicle, which is parked; and

a security unit to execute a second function to output an alarm when the variation in the state is detected, wherein

the function instruction unit instructs the detection unit and/or the security unit, as the certain device, to execute a function to stop the first function and/or the second function.

6. The control system of claim 1, wherein

the in-vehicle system further comprises:

a release unit to release the unlock instruction from being disabled when the predetermined time period elapses or when the certain device is instructed to execute the certain function.

7. The control system of claim 1, wherein

the in-vehicle system further comprises:

a notification unit for notify that the certain function is executed when the function instruction unit instructs the certain device to execute the certain function.

8. A method for controlling a device provided in a vehicle cooperative with a handheld unit, the method comprising:

locking a door of the vehicle based on a lock instruction issued by a lock instruction unit and then transmitting a request signal from the vehicle to the handheld unit;

receiving a response signal including an ID code in response to the request signal from the handheld unit;

performing a collation of the ID code from the handheld unit;

disabling an unlock instruction issued by an unlock instruction unit from when the door is locked based on the lock instruction to when a predetermined time period elapses, the predetermined time period starting from when the door is locked based on the lock instruction, the unlock instruction unit being provided in a door handle of the vehicle to be operated by the holder to issue the unlock instruction when the ID code is verified in the collation of the ID code;

detecting a predetermined operation to the door handle by the holder while the unlock instruction is disabled; and

instructing the device in the vehicle to execute a certain function other than unlocking the door when the predetermined operation is detected.