Vehicle Control Apparatus and Vehicle Having the Same

• US 20080030327A1
• Filed: 07/31/2007
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Inventors: YOSHIZAWA, Akihiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,232,870 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/540
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/306 Motorcycles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user

Abstract

A vehicle control apparatus that informs that a smart key has been dropped at a location as proximate to a location of the dropping the smart key as possible while minimizing consumption of a battery of the smart key. A transmitting/receiving circuit transmits to the smart key a code request signal for confirming whether the smart key is disposed within a predetermined range of a motorcycle by a predetermined transmission period, and receive a code signal transmitted from the smart key receiving the code request signal. A code checking portion checks a code of a code signal received by the transmitting/receiving circuit. A control portion changes a period of transmitting the code request signal in accordance with a situation of running the motorcycle to detect dropping of the smart key.

Claims

1. A vehicle control apparatus comprising:

transmitting means for transmitting a code request signal to a portable machine for confirming whether the portable machine is disposed within a predetermined range by a predetermined transmission period in order to detect dropping of the portable machine;

receiving means for receiving a code signal transmitted from the portable machine receiving the code request signal;

code checking means for checking. a code of the code signal received by the receiving means; and

a transmission control portion for changing a period of transmitting the code request signal by the transmitting means in accordance with a situation of running the vehicle.

2. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmission control portion changes the period of transmitting the code request signal in accordance with vehicle speed.

3. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the transmission control portion decreases the period of transmitting the code request signal as the vehicle speed increases.

4. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a first timer for measuring the period of transmitting the code request signal.

5. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising alarming means for notifying a driver that the portable machine is not disposed within the predetermined range when the code checking means cannot check the code of the code signal.

6. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the alarming means notifies the driver that the portable machine is not disposed within the predetermined range when the receiving means cannot receive the code signal continuously by a plurality of times.

7. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a notification control portion for changing a notification time period until the alarming means notifies the driver that the portable machine is not disposed within the predetermined range.

8. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the notification control portion shortens the notification time period as the vehicle speed increases.

9. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a second timer for measuring a notification time period set in accordance with the vehicle speed;

wherein the notification control portion controls the alarming means to notify when the notification time period by the second timer is finished.

10. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the transmission control portion increases the period of transmitting the code request signal when the vehicle speed is substantially constant.

11. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the portable machine is an electronic key.

18. A vehicle comprising the vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1.

12. A vehicle control apparatus comprising:

transmitting means for transmitting to a portable machine for permitting use of a vehicle a code request signal for confirming whether the portable machine is disposed within a predetermined range of the vehicle by a predetermined transmission period;

receiving means for receiving a code signal transmitted from the portable machine receiving the code request signal;

code checking means for checking a code of the code signal received by the receiving means;

alarming means for notifying a driver that the portable machine is not disposed within the predetermined range of the vehicle when the code signal cannot be checked by the code checking means; and

a notification control portion for making the alarming means notify that the portable machine is not disposed within the predetermined range of the vehicle when a distance of moving the vehicle reaches a first distance in a continued state in which the code signal cannot be checked by the code checking means.

13. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a display portion for displaying a distance from a spot at which the code signal is not checked by the code checking means first to a current spot of running the vehicle when the distance of moving the vehicle reaches the first distance and a notification by the alarming means is carried out.

14. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising transmission controlling means for controlling to transmit the code request signal at each second distance shorter than the first distance as a transmission period of transmitting the code request signal to the portable machine.

15. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising rotation detecting means for detecting rotation of a predetermined rotating portion when the vehicle is moved, wherein the distance of moving the vehicle is calculated based on a detection result of the rotation detecting means.

16. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the predetermined rotating portion is a wheel.

19. A vehicle comprising the vehicle control apparatus according to claim 12.

17. A vehicle control apparatus comprising:

transmitting means for transmitting to a portable machine a code request signal for confirming whether the portable machine is disposed within a predetermined range by a predetermined transmission period in order to detect dropping of the portable machine;

receiving means for receiving a code signal transmitted from the portable machine receiving the code request signal;

code checking means for checking a code of the code signal received by the receiving means;

alarming means for notifying a driver that the portable machine is not disposed within the predetermined range when the code signal cannot be checked by the code checking means; and

a notification control portion for changing a notification time period until the alarming means informs the driver that the portable machine is not disposed within the predetermined range.

20. A vehicle comprising the vehicle control apparatus according to claim 17.